CCOUC Strengthens Community Health and Disaster Preparedness through Humanitarian Field Training in Rural Cambodia

As part of its Humanitarian Field Training Programme in Cambodia from 20 to 27 July 2026, the Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC) extended its field activities to rural communities in Kampong Speu Province. Building on the programme's hospital-based learning activities, 14 students from the Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), engaged directly with local residents to promote community health awareness and disaster preparedness.

In Tamol Village, the students conducted two interactive health education sessions, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, focusing on dengue fever prevention and flood disaster risk management. The sessions introduced practical approaches to reducing health risks and strengthening household preparedness, while encouraging community members to share their experiences and local perspectives on these challenges.

The activities attracted active participation from local residents, including many older adults. To facilitate broader community engagement, the students organised childcare activities for younger children while adults attended the health education sessions. Emergency preparedness bags were also distributed to participating households, providing practical resources to support disaster readiness.

The field activities were further enriched by the participation of Mr Patrick Kor from the School of Nursing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who shared insights from his experience in service-learning education and research involving older populations. His contribution highlighted the importance of understanding community needs and incorporating intergenerational perspectives into health education and humanitarian field training.

Through these community-based activities, students gained valuable experience in health communication, participatory learning and adapting interventions to local circumstances. The programme demonstrated the importance of building trust, respecting local knowledge and addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, reinforcing CCOUC's commitment to integrating education, community engagement and disaster risk reduction in humanitarian practice.