Bloom: Live Wise, Healthy Life
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) kill nearly 60,000 Cambodians every year, representing 64% of all deaths in 2018. One in every four Cambodians (23%) dies prematurely, before the age of 70, from NCDs. Prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in adults was 9.6% and 14.2%, respectively and 45% of adults aged 18 and over had high cholesterol, indicating consumption of diets heavy in saturated fats and salt.
The USAID-funded Promoting Healthy Behaviors (PHB) Activity implements a social and behavior change (SBC) campaign called “Bloom: Live Wise, Healthy Life” to promote healthier diets, increased physical activity and early screening to help prevent hypertension and diabetes.
GOAL
- Improved health among Cambodians by promoting hypertension and diabetes prevention and screening among women aged 30-44.
WHAT WE DO
- Increase accurate risk appraisal and interrupt behavioral patterns to help women establish new habits around diet and physical activity.
- Rebalance cost-benefit analysis around screening by promoting the benefits of early diagnosis and high-quality client education.
HOW WE DO
- A two-pronged SBC campaign that uses social media, behavioral nudges, community outreach, and health service improvement
PRIORITY BEHAVIORS
Prevention
- Don’t salt food during cooking
- Don’t add salt to food at the table
- Steam, boil, or saute foods rather than deep-frying
- Increase the amount of foods prepared at home rather than those purchased from vendors or restaurants
- Eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day
- Get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week
Screening
- Participate in screening for hypertension and elevated blood glucose in the community
- Go to a health center for confirmatory blood pressure measurement
- Go to an NCD clinic for confirmatory blood glucose measurement
MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING
PHB conducts ongoing monitoring of this and all its SBC activities, capturing data in terms of activities implemented, people reached, and materials distributed, as well as information on beneficiaries’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior prior to and after exposure to PHB’s activities. Results and lessons learned are used to iterate and improve the SBC activities, and are regularly shared with the wider SBC community.
* The Promoting Healthy Behaviors (PHB) Activity is a USAID-funded Social and Behavior Change project that commenced in 2018. The goal of PHB is to improve health behaviors among Cambodians and ensure they seek and receive quality healthcare with decreased financial hardship. PHB initially targeted 6 key health areas: Maternal & Child Health; Nutrition; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Tuberculosis; Family Planning; and Malaria. In 2020-2021, PHB also implemented COVID-related activities in response to the global pandemic. Towards the end of 2021, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) were added to PHB’s health portfolio, and the project was extended until June 2025.
