The Emergency Health Fund assists people within our projects to access emergency medical assistance when it is required to reduce the pressure of healthcare on extremely poor and vulnerable families. Many of the families that we work with are already in desperate or crisis situations so, when one or more of the family members get sick and/or require medical attention, the families often cannot afford to pay for their transport, food and other costs to get them the treatment they need.

In order to prevent families from taking on unmanageable debt or from neglecting to get healthcare altogether, VOICE assists families to receive urgent medical assistance when it is required. The Emergency Health Fund can be the difference between a family having an opportunity to work their way out of a crisis situation and a family finding themselves in a downward spiral of poverty and sickness.

What is Thalassaemia?

Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that is quite common in Cambodia. A child with Thalassemia Major requires monthly blood transfusions and iron-chelation medication – however, in Cambodia there is a major shortage of blood and iron-chelation medication is too expensive for most to afford. .

Facts About Thalassaemia

• If left untreated, the life expectancy of a child with Thalassemia Major is between 5 and 15 years old.

• In Camboida, 30% of the population are carriers of the gene. 

• If two carrier parents have a child, there is a 1 in 4 change that their child will be born with Thalassaemia Major. 

How does VOICE help?

VOICE provides direct assistance to the families affected by Thalassaemia through a combination of the following:

• Recruiting blood donors to ensure access the treatment that they urgently need

• Providing transportation assistance to the hostpital

• Livlihood Assistance

How did VOICE start working with people with Thalassaemia?

Read Srun's Story to learn more!