The European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (EuroCham) has urged the government to establish a National Digital Health Coordination Committee (NDHCC) to align ministries, regulators and private stakeholders in governing Cambodia’s fast-growing digital health sector.
The proposal was unveiled during a press conference held on Tuesday, ahead of the upcoming EuroCham Healthcare Forum & Innovation Exhibition 2025 set for October 30 in Phnom Penh.
The event will bring together government ministries, healthcare providers, insurers, investors and innovators to explore how technology can strengthen Cambodia’s health system.
At the briefing, EuroCham executive director Martin Brisson, Dr. Elias Engelking, co-chairperson of the EuroCham Healthcare Committee, and Sor Samnangvathana, co-chairperson representing practitioners, outlined key recommendations from EuroCham’s newly released 2025 White Paper on Governing Digital Health Platforms in Cambodia.
Brisson believed the Healthcare Forum & Innovation Exhibition 2025 marks a milestone in the ongoing advocacy journey.
He described it as “not simply a technology fair, but a national platform for collaboration, bringing together policymakers, innovators, investors and healthcare professionals to co-create a resilient, modern health system for Cambodia”.
“Aligning innovation with trust, standards and inclusive governance is key to ensuring that digital transformation improves access, quality and equity in healthcare,” said Brisson.
He also announced EuroCham’s upcoming 2025 White Paper on Digital Health Governance, which will offer policy recommendations for building secure, interoperable and innovation-ready healthcare systems in Cambodia.
Dr. Engelking said as Cambodia moves toward upper middle-income status, building resilient digital health systems will depend on effective public–private co-creation, blending regulatory capacity with private capital and innovation.
“Cambodia stands at a decisive moment,” said Dr. Engelking, who also heads digital health at Intercare Hospital.
“As traditional aid declines and investment-led partnerships rise, digital health can reshape Cambodia’s healthcare landscape — but only if innovation is guided by trust, policy and ethical governance,” he added.
Dr. Engelking outlined three key proposals to be discussed at the forum:
1. National Digital Health Coordination Committee (NDHCC): To align ministries and private stakeholders under a unified governance framework.
2. Cambodia Health Industry and Technology Alliance (CHITA): To foster coordinated private sector engagement and innovation.
3. Shared Digital Infrastructure: To create secure, interoperable systems that connect patients, providers, and policymakers.
A call for coordinated governance
The chamber noted that Cambodia’s digital health ecosystem is expanding rapidly through telemedicine, AI-assisted consultation and e-prescription platforms — yet current laws and regulations have not kept pace.
These services do not fit neatly within existing legal categories, creating fragmented oversight and potential risks to patient safety.
To address these challenges, EuroCham is calling for the creation of a National Digital Health Coordination Committee, a permanent co-regulatory body uniting the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Ministry of Economy and Finance and other stakeholders to design cohesive digital health policy frameworks.
EuroCham also proposed introducing regulatory sandboxes, flexible testing environments that allow innovators and regulators to learn together while ensuring safety and compliance.
A hybrid licensing regime for digital health platforms was also recommended to promote accountability and interoperability.
“This forum is not a technology fair — it’s a national conversation on how innovation can advance Cambodia’s healthcare responsibly,” said Brisson.
“We want to help government and business co-create solutions that ensure quality, safety, and inclusivity,” he added.
A roadmap for Cambodia’s digital future
According to Samnangvathana, the White Paper also proposes a multi-phase implementation plan — from short-term steps like establishing governance structures and sandbox regulations (2025–2026) to long-term goals such as integrating digital health services into national financing and insurance systems (2028–2035).
“By acting now, Cambodia can become a regional leader in secure, innovation-driven digital health,” she said.
“This is about building public trust and ensuring that innovation benefits every Cambodian,” she added.
The EuroCham Healthcare Forum & Innovation Exhibition 2025 on October 30 will gather ministries, development partners and private sector actors under one roof to discuss how digital transformation can improve healthcare access, quality assurance, and policy alignment.
The event is supported by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and T-Systems, which brings over 40 years of experience in building secure e-health systems and interoperable national health architectures worldwide.
