Assessing the willingness of rural population to join a community financing scheme in Prasat, Krava and Treal of Baray-Santauk operational district, Cambodia

This study is attempting at finding a possible strategy to increase revenue to finance the current under-financed public health system on the one hand and to improve the utilization of health services on the other hand. A feasibility study about community financing is proposed to identify the knowledge and preference of people about the scheme. Health service has been long considered to be the place where most of the health problem can be solved. The achievement in the improvement of population health status depends on the organization and the appropriateness of the health system, quality of services and people perception regarding seeking care and utilization of health services. Yet, health services recently faced many problems and the utilization of public health services is in general decreased as result of poor quality of services, inadequate supply and failure to protect vulnerable groups, especially the poor to assure that they have access to health services. There is an continuing debates among health professionals and policy analysts over health care financing issues to increase resources to the health sector and at the same time improve access to public health services, especially to the poor by development of exemption criteria etc. The main purpose of the proposed study is to explore the possibility of introducing community financing as a stable health financing strategy to both generate additional resource to health sector by involvement of the community in the management and financing of health services through community participation. It is anticipated that this strategy will assist to improve the access of health services, especially for rural poor people so that utilization of health services could be promoted and their health status can be upgraded. A field data exercise was performed in Pathumthany Province of Thailand. I had chances to test material and method of the proposed study. It was useful for me that I could develop and enhance my skill of field data collection as well as upgrade my experience, so that I will be able to handle problems that might occur during the real data collection. The exercise provided me tips to improve questions as well. It is anticipated that findings of the study will yield useful and fruitful information for decision making. The result will be disseminated and used to inform the policy makers at the ministry of health for decision making regarding the implementation of health financing schemes.