CATASTROPHIC HEALTH EXPENDITURE AND IMPOVERISHMENT AMONG HOUSEHOLDS IN CAMBODIA: EVIDENCE FROM CAMBODIAN SOCIO-ECONOMIC SURVEY 2012

This study arms to identify the determinants of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and impoverishment among households in Cambodia in 2012, and assess the degree to which Cambodian households who received the health equity fund were protected from CHE and impoverishment. A descriptive study using cross-sectional household survey data from the nationally representative Cambodian Socio-Economic Survey 2012 was used for this analysis. An internationally recognized and standardized methodology developed by WHO was used to calculate the proportion of CHE and impoverishment and binary logic regression was performed to identify the determinants of CHE and impoverishment. The results found that the proportion of households suffering CHE and impoverishment after purchasing health care services and paying from out-of-pocket were 5.92% % and 3,12% respectively. Households in urban areas, households with more members, households headed by male and higher education of household head were less likely to incur CHE. The main factors associated with high risk of CHE and impoverishment were the households having chronic illness members or severe illness, and households having any member admitted to hospital. Households grouping into higher expenditure quintiles were more likely to face CHE, but less likely to be impoverished. Importantly, households enrolling into health equity fund were less likely to face CHE and impoverishment.