Our monthly check-in with staff working at CHAI. Learn more about our staff from from around the world.
How did you first find out about CHAI and what brought you to the organization?
Soleine: I first heard about CHAI when I was working at the Global Fund and I wanted to move in-country to feel closer to the impact. It was 11 years ago now.
Lan: I heard about CHAI from a friend who was working there already, before I started in May 2018.
What is a typical day of a country director and deputy country director like?
Soleine: The great thing about being a country leader is that our days are extremely varied, so much so that sometimes they can feel like a whole week. So, typically I may start the day with a meeting with the minister or a secretary of state, for instance, to discuss reducing maternal mortality by increasing access to oxygen. Then I may have lunch with a partner to discuss strengthening surveillance efforts for malaria.
Lan: My daily work involves constant discussion [and] collaboration with local [and] international stakeholders to ensure that our efforts complement each other. Every day, I’m focused on refining the CHAI technical assistance [is] better aligned with the Ministry of Health priorities, and on how [to] effectively transfer our knowledge and skills to [the] Cambodia government.
How do you think your backgrounds are complementary and how do you work together?
Soleine: So, I started my career in strategy consulting and old habits die hard. So, I’ll often think about a problem first in terms of logic trees and PowerPoint slides and MECE concepts. But the reality of health and development is that we also need to think about change management and stakeholder engagement. And Lan here has incredibly high EQ and so I systemically discuss with Lan what should be our change management approach in terms of driving change, not just in theory but in practice in working with the Ministry of Health and its different levels.
Lan: I’m Cambodian and really understand the situation, the context [and] where I see that we are supporting each other. At the country leadership, we [are] not only thinking about theory, but we are always thinking about what are the real health impact, who is benefitting and disadvantaged from the implementation of policies. Or we identify who are the champions who can help us to support the Ministry of Health for the best decisions.
What are some of the problems you are trying to solve at the moment?
Lan: We are working hard…now for some big changes such as [improving the] health information system and strengthening the community health worker with the [hope the] effort can help to boost health outcomes in Cambodia.
Soleine: And increasingly we’re also trying to tackle the topic of very high out-of-pocket payments for Cambodians for healthcare. And this is really a big hairy topic because it relates to a lot of issues. For instance, the high price of medical commodities [and] for instance, the relationship between the public and the private sector or the structure of the benefit package for social insurance. So, challenging, but really exciting.
What are the things you are most proud of CHAI supporting in Cambodia?
Soleine: Well, first, I’m really proud of…and we are… of the impact of our longstanding programs and support to the Ministry of Health. For instance, malaria. Malaria cases here in Cambodia have decreased 95% in the last five years and the national HIV program is on the cusp of achieving the 95-95-95 goals. At the same time, we realized that the health needs of Cambodians are changing, and so that’s why Lan and I spend a lot of time trying to birth new programs.
Lan: I’m very proud that CHAI Cambodia supports the Ministry of Health on the topic of the integration services model, such as the life course approach and where there you can see that this is something that we are really excited to scale and also we’re excited to share our lessons to another country as well.
