This study was undertaken to measure the costs and performance of an outreach programme to direct female commercial sex workers in Cambodia. The study consists of two parts, first a review of all activities of the programme in 20 provinces and 2 major cities in order to calculate the total costs incurred by the programme within its first year of intervention. Second is an analysis of behavioral change of commercial sex workers based on data from a Behavioral Survey.
The survey was conducted in five selected provinces, which represent five different regions of the country. 480 commercial sex workers were interviewed. The results of the study, which are presented in this paper, show that the total costs the programme incurred in the first year was 372,543,390 Riels (lSUS=2720 Riels). 3945 commercial sex workers were educated and 1,514,8S0 condoms were distributed by the programme within the first year. Among 3945 commercial sex workers who were educated, 50.4%of them reported always using condoms with clients and there are 12% different in always condom use’ which is significantly related to the activities of the outreach program. Cost ratio analysis show that cost per commercial sex worker educated was 94,434 Riels per year, cost per 1condom distributed was 246 Riels, Cost per 1 commercial sex worker increase in always used condom contributed by the outreach program was 786,952 Riels, cost per 1 percentage increase in ‘always condom use’ was 3,104,528 Riels and the flow of fund was 74% fromdonor, 21% from government, and 5% from NGOs. In addition the analysis found that the outreach program to commercial sex workers in Cambodia may not be sustainable without financial support from donors, unless partial cost-recovery for condoms was applied. Another way is to integrate the outreach programme into other existing programmes such as condom social marketing, STD treatment and counseling. (abstract adapted from author)
