City Cancer Challenge
City project

Patient Education

Strengthening Patient Education and Awareness for Cancer Care in Phnom Penh.
City
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Project lead
Tim Vora
Areas of action
Implementation
Cycle I

The challenge

  • Late diagnosis remains a major challenge in Cambodia, driven by low public awareness of cancer symptoms and limited access to screening and reliable health information.
  • Many cancer patients face low health literacy, cultural stigma, and misinformation, which delay care-seeking, hinder understanding of diagnoses, and affect treatment adherence.
  • In Phnom Penh, where cancer services are expanding, strengthening the availability of standardised, culturally appropriate patient education materials for priority cancers is an important next step.
  • Health facilities have limited outreach tools and weak linkages to patient support groups and cancer patient networks, reducing opportunities for peer support and sustained engagement.
  • These gaps limit patients’ ability to navigate the cancer care pathway, participate in informed decision-making, and adhere to treatment.

The goal

  • To empower patients with knowledge and awareness on managing their tumour type, enabling informed decision-making and improved health outcomes.

The How

  • Identifying key information gaps faced by cancer patients across the care continuum.
  • Developing evidence-informed recommendations for patient education materials focused on priority cancers.
  • Supporting the adaptation of culturally sensitive, easy-to-understand educational content on cancer symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
  • Strengthening linkages between health facilities, patient support groups, and existing cancer patient networks to enhance outreach and peer support.

Outputs

  • Develop recommendations for the development of patient education materials focused on prioritized tumour types.

Team

Project Lead
Tim Vora, Executive Director, Health Action Coordination Committee
Project Team
Tim Vora, Executive Director, Health Action Coordination Committee
Prak Kanika, Medical Coordinator, Douleurs Sans Frontières
Riem Sok Chamroeun, Patient representative, Network of People with Non‑Communicable Diseases
Kong Vanthat, Patient representative, Network of People with Non‑Communicable Diseases.
Kim Ly, Senior Associate, Clinton Health Access Initiative, (CHAI)
Hor Bispihan, Medical Doctor, Japan Heart Asia Children's Medical Center
Chean Ratanakvisal, Program Manager, Malaria Consortium
Melanie Hubault, Country Director, Malaria Consortium
Rei Haruyana, Chief Advisor, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Kim Dalen, Psychosocial Officer, Calmette Hospital
Lim Leakena, Nurse, Calmette Hospital
Chhor Vorn Mon, Medical Advisor, Douleurs Sans Frontières

Related projects

View all
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Health Financing

Understanding and Reducing Out-of-Pocket Costs for Cancer Care in Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Health Information System and Database

Strengthening Health Information Systems and Hospital-Based Cancer Registries in Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Health System Coordination and Management

Strengthening Health System Coordination, Referral Pathways, and Strategic Planning for Cancer Care in Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

MDT, Quality and Safety

Strengthening Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Practice to Improve Quality and Safety of Cancer Care in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Palliative Care

Strengthening and Expanding Palliative Care Services for Cancer Patients in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Radiotherapy

Strengthening Access and Capacity for Radiotherapy Services in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Paeditric Oncology

Strengthening Referral Pathways for Paediatric Oncology Care in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Systematic Treatment

Strengthening Systemic Cancer Treatment Services in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Radiology and Nuclear Medicine

Strengthening Quality and Standardisation or Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Services for Cancer Care for Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Clinical Laboratory and Pathology

Strengthening Clinical Laboratory and Pathology Services for Cancer Diagnosis in Phnom Penh

Cookie notice

This website uses its own and third-party cookies to improve the browsing experience. Read the Cookies Policy.