INTRODUCTION

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MoPoTsyo patient information centre is a Cambodian non governmental organisation (NGO) for people with chronic disease in Cambodia. The focus groups are people with diabetes in poor communities.

Once the community is firmly established, it also includes people with high blood pressure but no diabetes.

The organisation was established in 2004 by five Cambodians and one Dutch to provide an institutional and practical response to the information needs for diabetes.  

Most Cambodians who are diagnosed with diabetes do not have access to good information. Public service health staff is severely underpaid and they have no time to listen to the patient’s questions and provide answers patients need. Yet, without patient involvement and understanding of the disease, treatment adherence is more likely to fail.

MoPoTsyo patient information centre works with patients and involves them as volunteers to make their health system more responsive. Some patients can become peer educators. MoPoTsyo organizes their training and supervision.

The diabetes program runs in five slum areas in the capital Phnom Penh. The starting date of the first rural project was June 1, 2007 in Takeo province about 100 km South of Phnom Penh.

"Click to watch a 6-minute movie made by a Cambodian Journalist from the Phnom Penh Post"

MoPoTsyo works closely with health authorities. The organisation is registered as a Cambodian not-for-profit organisation with the Cambodian Ministry of Interior. The organisation vows to remain independent. It welcomes communication links with other patient organisations overseas. 

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