Eradicating Pediatric Cancer in Cambodia

Bringing Hope to Children with Cancer in Cambodia (June– August 2025)

Overview

From June to August 2025, Japan Heart continued its pediatric cancer care in Cambodia. Our mission is not only to provide treatment but also to support children and their families through every stage of this difficult journey. This summer, the hospital was filled with moments of courage, laughter, and new beginnings, reminding us once again of the importance of standing by these children as they face both challenges and dreams.

Key Updates & Achievements

• “Open Hospital” Event: Turning Fear into Curiosity
  Our pediatric ward opened its doors to laughter and discovery. Children practiced using ultrasound machines, checked vital signs, and even tried mock blood draws. What could have been a frightening hospital experience transformed into one filled with excitement, learning, and smiles.

• Mony’s Story: Courage in the Face of Exhaustion
  Sixteen-year-old Mony, halfway through treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma, continues to endure a long and painful journey. Yet, his gentle spirit and contagious laughter brighten the ward, showing that kindness can be as healing as medicine.

• Aio’s Journey: A Little Explorer with Big Dreams
  At just three years old boy, Aio is recovering from Wilms’ tumor surgery with resilience and joy. Whether greeting staff or riding his small bicycle down the corridor, he reminds us that childhood joy can shine even in hospital life.

• Sorim’s New Beginning: A Smile Beyond Pain
  After 10 months of treatment and a life-changing leg amputation, Sorim was discharged in July. Known as the “alcohol sanitizer ambassador,” he lifted spirits and supported his peers. Leaving the hospital with a bright smile, he embodies resilience, friendship, and hope for new beginnings.

Upcoming Goals

• Continue creating safe spaces where children can laugh, learn, and feel like children.
• Walk alongside families so that no one faces this journey alone.
• Strengthen follow-up care for discharged patients like Sorim, helping them rebuild their lives with confidence.
• Train and empower local medical staff to ensure sustainable pediatric cancer care in Cambodia.
• Opening of Japan Heart Asia Pediatric Medical Center (October 2025)
  In October 2025, Japan Heart will open its second self-operated hospital, the Japan Heart Asia Children’s Medical Center, near Phnom Penh. With 200 beds and a focus on free pediatric cancer treatment, this new hospital will expand capacity and accessibility, working toward eliminating the survival gap between developing and developed countries.

Acknowledgement

We are truly grateful for your continuing support. Every contribution, whether large or small, helps us deliver not only treatment but also comfort, dignity, and hope to children fighting cancer in Cambodia. Thanks to you, children like Mony, Aio, and Sorim can look forward to tomorrow with courage. Together, we are building a future where no child must face illness alone.

Progress Report on Eradicating Pediatric Cancer in Cambodia (Feb – Apr 2025)

Date: May 2025

Location: Cambodia

Overview

In this report, we will introduce our activities in Cambodia from February to April 2025, as well as an overview of Cambodia’s health insurance system.

Key Updates and Achievement

1. "Yoshioka Mission" and a case of pediatric cancer patient

From March 14- 16 and again from March 22- 25, 2025, Dr. Hideto Yoshioka traveled to Cambodia to conduct a series of intensive surgeries. Over these two missions, a total of 44 surgeries, including 4 pediatric cancer cases, were successfully performed. These short-term, high-impact surgical missions are known as the "Yoshioka Mission," during which Dr. Yoshioka, our Senior Advisor, visits Cambodia once a month to lead focused surgical efforts and support local medical care. During the mission, one little girl underwent a three-and-a-half-hour surgery, which was successfully completed, and her treatment will continue in the coming months.

2. Cambodia’s Health Insurance System and Its Challenges

To understand Cambodia’s health insurance system, it is essential to first understand its history.

In 1976, the Khmer Rouge regime led by Pol Pot came to power, and the civil war that lasted into the 1990s had a devastating impact. Many intellectuals were killed, and the foundations of hospitals and medical education were destroyed. Medical textbooks were burned, and the effects of this destruction still linger today, with a severe shortage of doctors continuing to plague the country. Many children dream of becoming doctors in the future. However, due to an underdeveloped education system and the high cost of tuition, they are forced to give up on that dream.

Cambodia has two public health insurance systems: the National Social Security Fund and the Health Equity Fund. However, many people living in poverty are not enrolled in either. In such cases, they must pay the full cost of medical treatment out of pocket. As a result, there is no end to the number of people who cannot afford the high cost of care and are unable to receive the medical treatment they need.

Upcoming Goals

The Objective of "the Japan Heart Children's Medical Center"

Since 2009, Japan Heart has been providing mobile medical services in Cambodia, bringing healthcare to those in  underserved areas. In 2016, it established its current facility, the Japan Heart Children's Medical Center, which continues to operate today. As one of the few charitable hospitals in the country offering free treatment for pediatric cancer, the center plays a truly unique and vital role. The organization’s work has gained widespread support across Cambodia.

Empowering Local Medical Professionals: A Vision for the Future

Japan Heart is not only dedicated to providing medical care, but also places a strong emphasis on training local  healthcare professionals.

Cambodian doctors and nurses work alongside their Japanese counterparts, with the goal of enabling the local staff to eventually operate the medical facilities independently in the future.

Opening second self-operated hospital, “The Japan Heart Asia Pediatric Medical Center” in October near Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia

 The Japan Heart Asia Pediatric Medical Center is a 200-bed comprehensive children’s hospital set to open in October 2025, near Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. It will be Japan Heart’s second self-operated hospital.

 Guided by the philosophy of “Equal access to healthcare for all children,” the center aims to become a new hub for  advanced medical care in Asia, with a bold mission to eliminate the survival gap between developing and developed  countries.

 The hospital will focus particularly on providing free treatment for pediatric cancer, a field where survival rates vary  greatly due to the high cost and complexity of care - often beyond the reach of international medical support. The  hospital located in Takhmao City, near the site of Cambodia’s new international airport scheduled to open in 2026, the new hospital will significantly improve both capacity and accessibility compared to the existing Japan Heart  Children’s Medical Center since 2016.

Acknowledgement

Towards the Future with the New Hospital- Our gratitude for your support

This month, many patients at the Japan Heart Children’s Medical Center were able to undergo surgery, and this would not have been possible without your generous support. We are truly grateful for your continued kindness.

Currently, preparations for the opening of our new hospital are progressing smoothly. With the establishment of this new facility, we will be able to provide high-quality healthcare to even more patients. We remain fully committed to safeguarding the future of as many patients as possible and will continue to do our best in all our efforts.

Thank you once again for your unwavering support. We look forward to your continued partnership.

Links:

• https://www.japanheart.org/reports/reports-cambodia/250421.html
• https://www.japanheart.org/reports/reports-cambodia/250417.html