A prospective, comparative study of clinical outcomes following clinic-based versus self-use of medical abortion.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether clinical outcomes differ among women accessing a combined medical abortion regimen from a health clinic when compared with those accessing it from a pharmacy. METHODS: We conducted a multicentre, prospective, comparative, non-inferiority study of participants aged ≥15 years seeking medical abortion from five clinics and five adjacent pharmacy clusters in three provinces of Cambodia. Participants were recruited in-person at the point of purchase (clinic or pharmacy). Follow-up for self-reported pill use, acceptability, and clinical outcomes occurred by telephone at days 10 and 30 after mifepristone administration. RESULTS: Over 10 months, we enrolled 2083 women with 1847 providing outcome data: 937 from clinics and 910 from pharmacies. Most were early in their pregnancy (mean gestational age of 6.3 and 6.1 weeks, respectively) and almost all took the pills correctly (98% and 96%,). Additional treatment needed to complete the abortion was non-inferior for the pharmacy group (9.3%) compared with the clinic group (12.7%). More from the clinic group received additional care from a provider, such as antibiotics or diagnostics tests, than those from the pharmacy group (11.5% and 3.2%,), and one ectopic pregnancy (pharmacy group) was successfully treated. Most said they felt prepared for what happened after taking the pills (90.9% and 81.3%, respectively, p=0.273). CONCLUSIONS: Self-use of a combined medical abortion product resulted in comparable clinical outcomes as use following a clinical visit, consistent with existing literature on its safety and efficacy. Registration and availability of medical abortion as an over-the-counter product would likely increase women's access to safe abortion.

Early essential newborn care in national tertiary hospitals in Cambodia and Lao People's Democratic Republic: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Ministries of health in collaboration with the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO) have been scaling up early essential newborn care (EENC). This study was carried out to understand current EENC practices at hospitals in two priority countries: the Kingdom of Cambodia (Cambodia) and Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). METHODS: EENC is subdivided into 79 checkpoints, referencing the self-monitoring checklist developed by the WPRO. Each checkpoint is rated using a 0 to 2-point scale, and a percentage was calculated for the rate of practice of each checkpoint by dividing the total scores by the maximum possible scores. RESULTS: In total, 55 and 56 deliveries were observed in Cambodia and Lao PDR, respectively, and 35 and 34 normal deliveries were included in the analysis. The overall rates of the practices within the first 15 minutes after birth were high in both countries. The rates of the practices before birth and 15 minutes after birth were lower than the rates of the practices performed within the first 15 minutes after birth, especially "hand wash before preparation", "preparation for newborn resuscitation", and "monitoring of postpartum mothers and babies". A detailed analysis revealed that the quality of the practices differed between the two countries regarding skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding support. CONCLUSIONS: The high rates of the practices within the first 15 minutes after birth suggest that the EENC coaching sessions supported by ministries of health and the WPRO have been effective. Differences in the quality of practices performed at a high rate between the two countries appeared to be related to factors such as the timing of the study, the perception of the staff, and the situation at the health facilities. These differences and identified practices with lower rates should be improved according to the situation in each country or health facility. Therefore, determining the quality of the practices in a country or a health facility is important. To further improve the quality of EENC, interventions tailored to the specific situation are necessary.

Integrated approach for triple elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis is highly effective and cost-effective: an economic evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The Regional Framework for Triple Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (EMTCT) of HIV, Hepatitis B (HBV) and Syphilis in Asia and the Pacific 2018-30 was endorsed by the Regional Committee of WHO Western Pacific in October 2017, proposing an integrated and coordinated approach to achieve elimination in an efficient, coordinated and sustainable manner. This study aims to assess the population impacts and cost-effectiveness of this integrated approach in the Cambodian context. METHODS: Based on existing frameworks for the EMTCT for each individual infection, an integrated framework that combines infection prevention procedures with routine antenatal care was constructed. Using decision tree analyses, population impacts, cost-effectiveness and the potential reduction in required resources of the integrated approach as a result of resource pooling and improvements in service coverage and coordination, were evaluated. The tool was assessed using simulated epidemiological data from Cambodia. RESULTS: The current prevention programme for 370,000 Cambodian pregnant women was estimated at USD$2.3 ($2.0-$2.5) million per year, including the duration of pregnancy and up to 18 months after delivery. A model estimate of current MTCT rates in Cambodia was 6.6% (6.2-7.1%) for HIV, 14.1% (13.1-15.2%) for HBV and 9.4% (9.0-9.8%) for syphilis. Integrating HIV and syphilis prevention into the existing antenatal care framework will reduce the total time required to provide this integrated care by 19% for health care workers and by 32% for pregnant women, resulting in a net saving of $380,000 per year for the EMTCT programme. This integrated approach reduces HIV and HBV MTCT to 6.1% (5.7-6.5%) and 13.0% (12.1-14.0%), respectively, and substantially reduces syphilis MCTC to 4.6% (4.3-5.0%). Further introduction of either antiviral treatment for pregnant women with high viral load of HBV, or hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) to exposed newborns, will increase the total cost of EMTCT to $4.4 ($3.6-$5.2) million and $3.3 ($2.7-$4.0) million per year, respectively, but substantially reduce HBV MTCT to 3.5% (3.2-3.8%) and 5.0% (4.6-5.5%), respectively. Combining both antiviral and HBIG treatments will further reduce HBV MTCT to 3.4% (3.1-3.7%) at an increased total cost of EMTCT of $4.5 ($3.7-$5.4) million per year. All these HBV intervention scenarios are highly cost-effective ($64-$114 per disability-adjusted life years averted) when the life benefits of these prevention measures are considered. CONCLUSIONS: The integrated approach, using antenatal, perinatal and postnatal care as a platform in Cambodia for triple EMTCT of HIV, HBV and syphilis, is highly cost-effective and efficient.

The unfinished health agenda: Neonatal mortality in Cambodia.

BACKGROUND: Reduction of neonatal and under-five mortality rates remains a primary target in the achievement of universal health goals, as evident in renewed investments of Sustainable Development Goals. Various studies attribute declines in mortality to the combined effects of improvements in health care practices and changes in socio-economic factors. Since the early nineties, Cambodia has managed to evolve from a country devastated by war to a nation soon to enter the group of middle income countries. Cambodia's development efforts are reflected in some remarkable health outcomes such as a significant decline in child mortality rates and the early achievement of related Millennium Development Goals. An achievement acknowledged through the inclusion of Cambodia as one of the ten fast-track countries in the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. This study aims to highlight findings from the field so to provide evidence for future programming and policy efforts. It will be argued that to foster further advances in health, Cambodia will need to keep neonatal survival and health high on the agenda and tackle exacerbating inequities that arise from a pluralistic health system with considerable regional differences and socio-economic disparities. METHODS/FINDINGS: Data was drawn from Demographic Health Surveys (2000, 2005, 2010, 2014). Information on a series of demographic and socio-economic household characteristics and on child anthropometry, feeding practices and child health were collected from nationally representative samples. To reach the required sample size, live-births that occurred over the past 10 years before the date of the interview were included. Demographic variables included: gender of the child, living area (urban or rural; four ecological regions (constructed by merging provinces and the capital), mother's age at birth (<20, 20-35, 35+), birth interval (long, short) and birth order (1st, 2-3, 4-6, 7+). Socio-economic variables included: mother education level (none, primary, secondary+) and household wealth (asset-based index). Data on antenatal care, tetanus injection and skilled assistance at birth were used for the mother's last child. Between 2000 and 2014, Cambodia achieved a considerable reduction in neonatal mortality (46% reduction rate). By 2014, gender inequities became almost non-existent (for all measures of equality); inequity related to mother's education decreased for all time periods; improvements were observed for differences in neonatal mortality by preceding birth interval; and a reduction in neonatal mortality rates could be noted among all the regional subgroups. Inequities increased between mothers who had limited antenatal care and those who received more than four antenatal care visits. In most scale indicators, the Slope Index of Inequality and Relative Index of Inequality estimates for all four rounds of the survey suggest inequity exacerbated in deprived communities. Also, wealth and residence (urban/rural divide) continued to be major determinants in neonatal mortality rates and related inequity trends. CONCLUSION: Analysis highlighted some of the complex patterns and determinants of neonatal mortality, in Cambodia. There has been a considerable decline in neonatal mortality which echoes global trends. Our analysis reveals that despite these advances, additional socio-economic and demographic characteristics considerably affected neonatal mortality rates and its inequities. There continue to be pockets of vulnerable groups that are lagging behind. This analysis highlights the determinants along the urban-rural and rich-poor divides in neonatal mortality inequities and how these affect access to and utilization of quality basic health services. This calls for future policy and programming efforts to be deliberate in their equity approach. Quality improvements in health services and targeted interventions for specific socio-economic groups will be required to further accelerate progress in reducing neonatal mortality and address Cambodia's pressing unfinished agenda in health.

Increasing Uptake of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives in Cambodia Through a Voucher Program: Evidence From a Difference-in-Differences Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This article evaluates the use of modern contraceptives among poor women exposed to a family planning voucher program in Cambodia, with a particular focus on the uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs). METHODS: We used a quasi-experimental study design and data from before-and-after intervention cross-sectional household surveys (conducted in 2011 and 2013) in 9 voucher program districts in Kampong Thom, Kampot, and Prey Veng provinces, as well as 9 comparison districts in neighboring provinces, to evaluate changes in use of modern contraceptives and particularly LARCs in the 12 months preceding each survey. Survey participants in the analytical sample were currently married, non-pregnant women ages 18 to 45 years (N = 1,936 at baseline; N = 1,986 at endline). Difference-in-differences (DID) analyses were used to examine the impact of the family planning voucher. RESULTS: Modern contraceptive use increased in both intervention and control areas between baseline and endline: in intervention areas, from 22.4% to 31.6%, and in control areas, from 25.2% to 31.0%. LARC use also increased significantly between baseline and endline in both intervention (from 1.4% to 6.7%) and control (from 1.9% to 3.5%) areas, but the increase in LARC use was 3.7 percentage points greater in the intervention area than in the control area (P = .002), suggesting a positive and significant association of the voucher program with LARC use. The greatest increases occurred among the poorest and least educated women. CONCLUSION: A family planning voucher program can increase access to and use of more effective long-acting methods among the poor by reducing financial and information barriers.

Achieving universal access and moving towards elimination of new HIV infections in Cambodia.

INTRODUCTION: In the mid-1990s, Cambodia faced one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in Asia. For its achievement in reversing this trend, and achieving universal access to HIV treatment, the country received a United Nations millennium development goal award in 2010. This article reviews Cambodia's response to HIV over the past two decades and discusses its current efforts towards elimination of new HIV infections. METHODS: A literature review of published and unpublished documents, including programme data and presentations, was conducted. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Cambodia classifies its response to one of the most serious HIV epidemics in Asia into three phases. In Phase I (1991-2000), when adult HIV prevalence peaked at 1.7% and incidence exceeded 20,000 cases, a nationwide HIV prevention programme targeted brothel-based sex work. Voluntary confidential counselling and testing and home-based care were introduced, and peer support groups of people living with HIV emerged. Phase II (2001-2011) observed a steady decline in adult prevalence to 0.8% and incidence to 1600 cases by 2011, and was characterized by: expanding antiretroviral treatment (coverage reaching more than 80%) and continuum of care; linking with tuberculosis and maternal and child health services; accelerated prevention among key populations, including entertainment establishment-based sex workers, men having sex with men, transgender persons, and people who inject drugs; engagement of health workers to deliver quality services; and strengthening health service delivery systems. The third phase (2012-2020) aims to attain zero new infections by 2020 through: sharpening responses to key populations at higher risk; maximizing access to community and facility-based testing and retention in prevention and care; and accelerating the transition from vertical approaches to linked/integrated approaches. CONCLUSIONS: Cambodia has tailored its prevention strategy to its own epidemic, established systematic linkages across different services and communities, and achieved nearly universal coverage of HIV services nationwide. Still, the programme must continually (re)prioritize the most effective and efficient interventions, strengthen synergies between programmes, contribute to health system strengthening, and increase domestic funding so that the gains of the previous two decades are sustained, and the goal of zero new infections is reached.

MObile Technology for Improved Family Planning Services (MOTIF): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Providing women with contraceptive methods following abortion is important to reduce repeat abortion rates, yet evidence for effective post-abortion family planning interventions are limited. This protocol outlines the evaluation of a mobile phone-based intervention using voice messages to support post-abortion family planning in Cambodia. METHODS/DESIGN: A single blind randomised controlled trial of 500 participants. Clients aged 18 or over, attending for abortion at four Marie Stopes International clinics in Cambodia, owning a mobile phone and not wishing to have a child at the current time are randomised to the mobile phone-based intervention or control (standard care) with a 1:1 allocation ratio.The intervention comprises a series of six automated voice messages to remind clients about available family planning methods and provide a conduit for additional support. Clients can respond to message prompts to request a phone call from a counsellor, or alternatively to state they have no problems. Clients requesting to talk to a counsellor, or who do not respond to the message prompts, receive a call from a Marie Stopes International Cambodia counsellor who provides individualised advice and support regarding family planning. The duration of the intervention is 3 months. The control group receive existing standard of care without the additional mobile phone-based support.We hypothesise that the intervention will remind clients about contraceptive methods available, identify problems with side effects early and provide support, and therefore increase use of post-abortion family planning, while reducing discontinuation and unsafe method switching.Participants are assessed at baseline and at 4 months. The primary outcome measure is use of an effective modern contraceptive method at 4 months post abortion. Secondary outcome measures include contraception use, pregnancy and repeat abortion over the 4-month post-abortion period.Risk ratios will be used as the measure of effect of the intervention on the outcomes, and these will be estimated with 95% confidence intervals. All analyses will be based on the 'intention to treat' principle. DISCUSSION: This study will provide evidence on the effectiveness of a mobile phone-based intervention using voice messages to support contraception use in a population with limited literacy. Findings could be generalisable to similar populations in different settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01823861.

Moving beyond essential interventions for reduction of maternal mortality (the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health): a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: We report the main findings of the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health (WHOMCS), which aimed to assess the burden of complications related to pregnancy, the coverage of key maternal health interventions, and use of the maternal severity index (MSI) in a global network of health facilities. METHODS: In our cross-sectional study, we included women attending health facilities in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East that dealt with at least 1000 childbirths per year and had the capacity to provide caesarean section. We obtained data from analysis of hospital records for all women giving birth and all women who had a severe maternal outcome (SMO; ie, maternal death or maternal near miss). We regarded coverage of key maternal health interventions as the proportion of the target population who received an indicated intervention (eg, the proportion of women with eclampsia who received magnesium sulphate). We used areas under the receiver operator characteristic curves (AUROC) with 95% CI to externally validate a previously reported MSI as an indicator of severity. We assessed the overall performance of care (ie, the ability to produce a positive effect on health outcomes) through standardised mortality ratios. RESULTS: From May 1, 2010, to Dec 31, 2011, we included 314,623 women attending 357 health facilities in 29 countries (2538 had a maternal near miss and 486 maternal deaths occurred). The mean period of data collection in each health facility was 89 days (SD 21). 23,015 (7.3%) women had potentially life-threatening disorders and 3024 (1.0%) developed an SMO. 808 (26.7%) women with an SMO had post-partum haemorrhage and 784 (25.9%) had pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Cardiovascular, respiratory, and coagulation dysfunctions were the most frequent organ dysfunctions in women who had an SMO. Reported mortality in countries with a high or very high maternal mortality ratio was two-to-three-times higher than that expected for the assessed severity despite a high coverage of essential interventions. The MSI had good accuracy for maternal death prediction in women with markers of organ dysfunction (AUROC 0.826 [95% CI 0.802-0.851]). INTERPRETATION: High coverage of essential interventions did not imply reduced maternal mortality in the health-care facilities we studied. If substantial reductions in maternal mortality are to be achieved, universal coverage of life-saving interventions need to be matched with comprehensive emergency care and overall improvements in the quality of maternal health care. The MSI could be used to assess the performance of health facilities providing care to women with complications related to pregnancy. FUNDING: UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP); WHO; USAID; Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan; Gynuity Health Projects.

Evaluation of the impact of the voucher and accreditation approach on improving reproductive behaviors and status in Cambodia.

BACKGROUND: Cost of delivering reproductive health services to low income populations will always require total or partial subsidization by government and/or development partners. Broadly termed "demand-side financing" or "output-based aid", these strategies include a range of interventions that channel government or donor subsidies to the user rather than the service provider. Initial pilot assessments of reproductive health voucher programs suggest that they can increase access, reduce inequities, and enhance program efficiency and service quality. However, there is a paucity of evidence describing how these programs function in different settings for various reproductive health services. METHODS/DESIGN: Population Council, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, intends to generate evidence around the "voucher and accreditation" approaches to improving the reproductive health of low-income women in Cambodia. The study comprises of four populations: facilities, providers, women of reproductive age using facilities, and women and men who have been pregnant and/or used family planning within the previous 12 months. The study will be carried out in a sample of 20 health facilities that are accredited to provide maternal and newborn health and family planning services to women holding vouchers from operational districts in three provinces: Kampong Thom, Kampot and Prey Veng and a matched sample of non-accredited facilities in three other provinces. Health facility assessments will be conducted at baseline and endline to track temporal changes in quality-of-care, client out-of-pocket costs, and utilization. Facility inventories, structured observations, and client exit interviews will be used to collect comparable data across facilities. Health providers will also be interviewed and observed providing care. A population survey of about 3000 respondents will also be conducted in areas where vouchers are distributed and similar non-voucher locations. DISCUSSION: A quasi-experimental study will investigate the impact of the voucher approach on improving reproductive health behaviors, reproductive health status and reducing inequities at the population level and assess effects on access, equity and quality of care at the facility level. If the voucher scheme in Cambodia is found effective, it may help other countries adopt this approach for improving utilization and access to reproductive health and family planning services.

Perceived barriers to utilization of maternal health services in rural Cambodia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the underlying causes of Cambodian women's non-use of maternal health services provided by skilled birth attendants. METHOD: A qualitative study of 66 reproductive-age women was conducted in Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia. Data were collected through 30 semi-structured interviews and 6 focus groups. RESULTS: We identified 5 barriers to the utilization of maternal health services: (i) financial barriers; (ii) physical barriers; (iii) cognitive barriers; (iv) organizational barriers; and (v) psychological and socio-cultural barriers. CONCLUSIONS: The Cambodian Ministry of Health and its development partners should take these barriers into account when promoting the use of maternal health services. These barriers should be addressed proactively. A successful approach to increasing use of maternal health services should involve changes to both service programs and public education.

Method of delivery and pregnancy outcomes in Asia: the WHO global survey on maternal and perinatal health 2007-08.

BACKGROUND: There has been concern about rising rates of caesarean section worldwide. This Article reports the third phase of the WHO global survey, which aimed to estimate the rate of different methods of delivery and to examine the relation between method of delivery and maternal and perinatal outcomes in selected facilities in Africa and Latin America in 2004-05, and in Asia in 2007-08. METHODS: Nine countries participated in the Asia global survey: Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. In each country, the capital city and two other regions or provinces were randomly selected. We studied all women admitted for delivery during 3 months in institutions with 6000 or fewer expected deliveries per year and during 2 months in those with more than 6000 deliveries. We gathered data for institutions to obtain a detailed description of the health facility and its resources for obstetric care. We obtained data from women's medical records to summarise obstetric and perinatal events. FINDINGS: We obtained data for 109 101 of 112 152 deliveries reported in 122 recruited facilities (97% coverage), and analysed 107 950 deliveries. The overall rate of caesarean section was 27.3% (n=29 428) and of operative vaginal delivery was 3.2% (n=3465). Risk of maternal mortality and morbidity index (at least one of: maternal mortality, admission to intensive care unit [ICU], blood transfusion, hysterectomy, or internal iliac artery ligation) was increased for operative vaginal delivery (adjusted odds ratio 2.1, 95% CI 1.7-2.6) and all types of caesarean section (antepartum without indication 2.7, 1.4-5.5; antepartum with indication 10.6, 9.3-12.0; intrapartum without indication 14.2, 9.8-20.7; intrapartum with indication 14.5, 13.2-16.0). For breech presentation, caesarean section, either antepartum (0.2, 0.1-0.3) or intrapartum (0.3, 0.2-0.4), was associated with improved perinatal outcomes, but also with increased risk of stay in neonatal ICU (2.0, 1.1-3.6; and 2.1, 1.2-3.7, respectively). INTERPRETATION: To improve maternal and perinatal outcomes, caesarean section should be done only when there is a medical indication. FUNDING: US Agency for International Development (USAID); UNDP/UNFPA/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), WHO, Switzerland; Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan; Ministry of Public Health, China; and Indian Council of Medical Research.

Determinants of contraceptive acceptance among Cambodian abortion patients.

Although Cambodia's total fertility rate is declining, limited access to and use of contraceptives has meant that some women rely upon induced abortion, legal since 1997, to achieve their fertility intentions. This study identifies factors that facilitate acceptance of postabortion contraception among women using Cambodia's public health facilities. Data were collected in all of Cambodia's hospitals with obstetric and delivery services (n = 71) and a representative sample of 115 of its 887 health-care centers, and from women seeking induced abortion or with abortion complications who presented to selected facilities during a three-week period (n = 933). Weighted data from 316 women who reported not wanting to become pregnant within the next few months and who presented to facilities that provide postabortion contraceptives were analyzed for bivariate and multivariate associations. Approximately 42 percent of women accepted contraceptives at the conclusion of care. After controlling for individual and facility characteristics, women who presented at facilities where a nurse/midwife managed abortion services, where contraceptives and abortions were provided in the same room, and where a larger range of methods were offered had significantly higher odds of contraceptive acceptance following abortion care. Improving contraceptive counseling and training for midwives and physicians, increasing contraceptive choices, and promoting access to contraceptives on site may reduce Cambodian women's risk of unwanted pregnancy and, potentially, unsafe abortion.

Design and evaluation of a community participatory, birth preparedness project in Cambodia.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate a pilot project, which used a community participatory approach to introduce birth preparedness in rural Cambodia. DESIGN: a feasibility and outcome evaluation. This included observation, interview, document analysis and costing. SETTING: the project was undertaken in 15 villages linked to five health centres in Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia. PARTICIPANTS: key management personnel, local midwives, village leaders, village volunteers and village members who had participated in the programme. FINDINGS: community engagement was not only feasible but was also a successful and cost-effective way to introduce birth preparedness. A high degree of satisfaction was reported by the health staff and the community. Over the year in which the project was undertaken, there was a 22% increase in antenatal care, a 32% increase in the number of women delivered by a midwife, and a 281% increase in referrals to hospital. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: discussion about birth preparedness should occur not only with pregnant women but also with the communities that support them. Communities that are poor and isolated are responsive to the health needs of their women as they give birth, and articulate their needs when given the opportunity. Interacting with health staff in a way in which there is shared information can lead to greater utilisation of the health services that they provide.

Integration of comprehensive abortion-care services in a Maternal and Child Health clinic in Cambodia.

OBJECTIVES: To document the pilot experience of provision of safe abortion/post-abortion services implemented in 2002 at the Mother Child Health clinic in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, and to profile clients and assess their uptake of post-abortion contraception. METHODS: The initial package of safe abortion/post-abortion clinics (SAPAC) services included counselling on family planning and prevention of sexually transmitted infections, pain management, Manual Vacuum Aspiration procedure and standard universal precautions at an affordable price (US$12.5). SAPAC services became operational in August 2002. The data of medical records from 1 August 2002 to 31 December 2005 (2224 clients) were analysed. RESULTS: The mean number of clients per month attending SAPAC services ranged from 26 in 2002 to 64 in 2005. Fifty-three per cent were housewives, 24% worked in sales or services, 8% in factories, 11% in bars or karaoke lounges and 3% were brothel-based sex workers. Ninety-three per cent of clients came for induced abortion and 7% sought post-abortion care. Pain management was used in 99% of cases. The overall rate of complications during intervention was 2.1% and dropped from 9.4% in 2002 to 1.3% in 2005. After SAPAC implementation, fewer women in Sihanoukville sought abortion services without any quality control and a safer technique was used. On average, 40% of patients took up contraception after the abortion. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating comprehensive abortion-care services at a peripheral government health facility is feasible. There is a demand for such services provided at an affordable price in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.