Background
PHC-BIF is a national framework intended to guide implementation of primary health care services at district and commune levels. The Ministry of Health’s national PHC-BIF task force conducts provincial missions to assess local implementation status and support development of district-level action plans.
From 17–19 May 2026, Secretary of State Dr. O Vann Din led a Ministry of Health team on a mission to Battambang province to review on-the-ground implementation and coordinate technical support with the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH). The mission engaged provincial and district leaders, health facility management committees, and village health support groups to prepare practical steps for establishing a PHC-BIF model district in Banan.
Key Developments
The delegation visited Sakheng Health Center, Kampong Puoy, Banan District office and Battambang Provincial Hospital and held discussions with provincial officials led by Deputy Governor Pen Prakot and Provincial Health Department head Veung Bunret. The mission assessed existing activities at health center and community levels and encouraged the district team in Banan to adopt PHC-BIF implementation tasks as a local model.
Institutional Role
The Ministry of Health led the national coordination role by mobilizing a technical team and engaging KOFIH to provide close technical assistance. District health management committees (HCMC) and Village Health Support Groups (VHSG) were engaged as local governance actors responsible for community-level implementation support and linkages with health centers.
Operational Implications
The visit emphasised preparing comprehensive district action plans and strengthened coordination between provincial authorities, district teams, and international technical partners. The PHC-BIF model district approach creates a focused operational pathway for testing practices before wider provincial or national scaling.
Next Steps
The Ministry announced a scheduled follow-up mission to another province from 20–22 May 2026 to continue provincial-level assessments and support roll-out planning.
