Phnom Penh Honored by WHO for Traffic Safety Efforts

Phnom Penh was honored with an award from the World Health Organization (WHO) for its efforts to promote traffic safety. The award was received during the 11th Global Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities, held in Sydney, Australia, on September 1, 2026. The delegation from Phnom Penh, led by Governor Khuong Sreng, participated in the conference and received the 2026 WHO Healthy Cities Recognition Award. This recognition is for the city's endeavors in implementing the project "Safe, Active Transportation and Health Promotion: Promoting Health and Reducing Inequalities in Urban Mobility." Ms. Dou Samphos, Deputy Director of Administration and Spokesperson for the Phnom Penh Municipal Administration, stated that this year's award is a significant honor for Phnom Penh. She highlighted that the city's efforts under Governor Khuong Sreng's leadership to prioritize citizen welfare have been acknowledged. These include improvements to physical infrastructure, strengthening local education and health systems, developing the transportation system with public buses, and planning to minimize traffic accident rates in response to rapid population growth, increased vehicle numbers, and urbanization. Ms. Samphos further emphasized that Phnom Penh's diligent work has not been in vain. Since 2017, in close collaboration with the Partnership for Healthy Cities (PHC) network, the city has implemented several major projects aimed at enhancing public health and well-being. These initiatives include promoting food safety and health in educational institutions, reducing accidents caused by drunk driving, and establishing smoke-free zones in tourist areas like the Chaktomuk pedestrian street. These projects have effectively contributed to changing residents' lifestyles, improving the social environment, and mitigating risks associated with non-communicable diseases. In 2025, Phnom Penh began piloting the project "Organizing Infrastructure and Support Equipment to Enhance the Safety of Citizen Travel in the Locality." This project focused on two school areas with high traffic density and potential risks: the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship School and the Hun Sen Chak Angre Primary-Secondary School. Key measures implemented included training and disseminating road traffic laws to students and target residents, improving infrastructure and installing modern equipment such as traffic signs, smart speed limiters, and surveillance cameras, and strengthening monitoring measures by deploying traffic police and personnel during school arrival and dismissal times to facilitate traffic flow and prevent accidents. Through these comprehensive efforts, Phnom Penh was selected among eight cities worldwide to receive the 2026 WHO Healthy Cities Recognition Award, from over 150 applicant cities across the Asia-Pacific region. Source: AKP Khmer