Phnom Penh Awarded WHO Prize for Enhancing Urban Well-being

Phnom Penh was honored by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2026 with a prize for its efforts in enhancing urban well-being. This recognition highlights the city's successful school zone traffic safety projects. On the morning of September 3, 2026, Ms. Dao Samphos, Deputy Director of the Phnom Penh Municipal Administration, along with representatives from seven other cities, participated in a discussion and shared experiences. This event, facilitated by the WHO's Western Pacific Regional Office, focused on the city's journey to receive the WHO's 2026 prize. Ms. Samphos, who directly managed the project and served as a spokesperson for the Phnom Penh Municipal Administration, explained that the initiative began in 2025. The project, "Safety in School Zones," received financial support from Vital Strategies through the Partnership for Healthy Cities. Two schools were selected for a pilot implementation, focusing on improving infrastructure and support facilities to enhance the safety of students, teachers, and local residents. The two selected schools, Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship School and Hun Sen Chak Angre Primary and Secondary School, are located in high-traffic areas at the entrance and exit of Phnom Penh, posing significant risks. The project implemented three key measures: (1) assessing traffic safety risks around schools using the iRAP (International Road Assessment Programme) methodology, specifically the "Start Rating for Schools"; (2) improving infrastructure and installing modern support equipment, including traffic signs, smart speed limiters, and security cameras; and (3) strengthening monitoring measures and continuing existing practices like deploying police and traffic personnel during school hours to facilitate traffic and mitigate risks. Furthermore, the project included enhancing knowledge and attitudes towards traffic safety through training and dissemination of road traffic laws to students and the community. It also fostered sustainable collaboration among all stakeholders to expand school zone safety initiatives. In June 2026, the WHO announced its selection of candidates for eight major themes related to improving urban well-being and safety. The Phnom Penh Municipal Administration submitted its "Safety in School Zones" project, competing with approximately 150 other cities from the Asia-Pacific region. After a thorough technical evaluation and scoring, the WHO selected eight cities to represent the eight themes. Phnom Penh received an award acknowledging its efforts in promoting safe active mobility and health, and reducing inequalities in urban mobility through the school zone safety project. The award ceremony took place at the 11th World Cities Summit of the Partnership for Healthy Cities in Sydney, Australia.