09/17/2025
Share the Health Cambodia 2025
Who We Are
Share the Health Cambodia is a US-based 501 (c) (3) non-profit Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) dedicated to improving life and health across the world.
Share the Health Cambodia’s 2025 mission is to continue providing all of Cambodia with a simplified, culturally adapted medical program that can act as the foundation for emergency medical services training programs in the future.
Our program allows local Cambodian citizens, police, medical providers, teachers, religious members, and high school students to feel empowered to act quickly and confidently to provide basic prehospital emergency skills throughout the country.
In 2025, we partnered with the Non-profit Cambodian Peace Forum (CPF). Together with CPF, we hold approximately two training classes a week, with emphasis on border regions with limited medical services. Over 35,000 students have received our training classes, and share the skills with their local communities.
Colonel James D. Garcia is the CEO and founder of Share the Health Cambodia. James is a career Paramedic with 35 years of experience in emergency health care. After being struck while working at an accident in 1994, James wrote the ‘Slow Down, Move Over’ law to help protect emergency workers. He has advocated globally for roadway safety, with his SDMO Law adopted in dozens of countries. In 2008 James visited Angkor Wat and saw the need for improving medical care in rural Cambodia. He created his NGO and cooperated with the Cambodian government to operate a Community Medical Health Center in Chong Doung village, Kampong Thom Province that treated over 10,000 patients free of charge.
STHC has continued to collaborate with the Cambodian government and other non-profits to provide a variety of training and medical services to the poor of rural Cambodia. Our Cambodian office holds a nonprofit registration with the Ministry of the Interior, Department of Foreign Affairs, and a Memorandum of Understanding with CPF, in accordance with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education.
The Need We Address
The devastation caused by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s destroyed most of Cambodia’s infrastructure. Even with international support, over 70% of rural Cambodians still have reduced access to indoor plumbing, electricity, standard schooling, or modern medical services.
Even though the Cambodian government has made tremendous progress, there is still a lack of many services in rural areas. In the remote regions we serve, there is very little access to modern medical care or training. Over 1,800 children drown yearly, and our program is one of the few to seek to prevent these deaths.
The toll from roadway crashes, falls, drowning, farming accidents, and even minor medical issues are catastrophic without emergency medical services. The UN and WHO “Global Plan Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030” provides guidance for all countries receiving funding assistance to achieve road safety target goals for improving road safety and quality of life. Although there are many factors to road safety, our program has been created specifically to meet the needs outlined in Pillar 5, “Post-Crash Care” (pages 16 and 17). This calls for raising community awareness of simple emergency care and timely first aid, especially in areas where medical response is limited.
Our Classes
STHC has created two specific classes to meet the needs outlined in this plan.
The first program is a Medical Attendant Training class (MAT), which shows laypeople simple concepts to stop bleeding, splint broken bones, stop choking, and perform compression-only CPR. Over 35,000 students have taken this training all over Cambodia.
STHC Medical Awareness Training (MAT)
This is a 2 ½ hour course to address the four most common and basic medical emergencies likely to be encountered. Small details of treatments may change with time, research and cultures, but overall, being aware of these four simple concepts can provide the best response for the majority of all emergencies.
Our class details the top four critical skills that will save lives in 90% of all emergencies:
Stop bleeding with direct pressure, or a tourniquet for severe bleeding.
Broken bones are sharp and must be stabilized with improvised and available materials.
Any airway obstruction must be cleared quickly.
Compression-only CPR is the most effective method to restore a pulse.
These must be taught in a context that accurately addresses their use in rural areas of Cambodia, with realistic consideration of the limited supplies, access to care, and cultural barriers. It is critical this program is tailored specifically to meet the needs of rural Khmer. Our program was developed to be easily understood and shared in these regions, and incorporate local Theravada Buddhist principles into the care and training. It is realistic about limited education, the lack of materials available to provide care, the challenges of functioning within the local cultural norms, and the reluctance to become involved during an emergency.
Our second program is a “Post-Crash Response,” designed to teach community professionals- police, fire, medical providers, teachers, and religious leaders how to prepare in anticipation of the inevitable arrival of a mandatory 119 emergency service. This includes the basics and infrastructure of an emergency medical service, which does not currently exist in Cambodia.
Preparing for the Future
There simply is no 911/119 in Cambodia. There are a few untrained private hospital ambulances around Phnom Penh, but otherwise, they simply aren’t culturally aware of how a 911/119 system works.
The UN/WHO Plan directs agencies to “Build capacity of pre-hospital, hospital and rehabilitation care/services, and establish a basic package of emergency care services for each level of the health system.” Our program helps all stakeholders- police, fire, government, medical services, schools, community, and religious leaders- on all basic aspects of integrating future emergency services and post-crash response.
We are currently developing two additional advanced classes. “Conflict Region Skills” will cover additional actions helpful in areas likely to see combat injuries. Skills include rapid triage assessment, rapid extrication, blast injuries, and penetrating injuries. We are also finalizing a “Vital Signs Assessment” class to teach the basic diagnostic parameters of blood pressure. pulse, respirations, pulse oxygenation, blood glucose, level of consciousness and temperature. It will also cover heart attack and stroke recognition.
Our future goals for 2030 include increasing “Train the Trainer” classes to qualify more instructors, finalizing the new classes, adding additional volunteer staff to meet logistical needs, and reaching more rural and underserved areas of Cambodia.
Our Partnerships
Since 2008, STHC has successfully worked with many local, national, and international Non-profit groups, government, and religious agencies to promote improved access to medical care in rural Cambodia. We ensure transparency through partnerships with trusted NGOs and government oversight, and have a MOU with the Cambodian Peace Forum to provide our training throughout Cambodia. The class is free of charge and in cooperation with local officials.
Our partners have also included the Cambodian Red Cross, The Kampong Thom Ministry of Health, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), Jeremiah’s Hope, Samaritan’s Purse, Smile Train, Side By Side International, People’s Improvement Organization, The Lake Clinic, Mekhala House Orphanage, CAMSAFE, Surgeons for Cambodia, Lifeway International Missions, and many others.
STHC has maintained a GuideStar Gold or Platinum Star Non-profit rating since 2009.
Financial Reality
STHC is an official tax-deductible 501c3 international Non-profit, in good standing with outstanding ratings from all reporting services. Sponsoring our summer programs requires travel, medical supplies and training materials that typically cost $10,000, and provides training for up to 3000 students. Sadly, since the pandemic, all donations are down.
We are constantly seeking sponsorship, collaborative partners, and volunteers from every background to increase our goals and services. Please consider us as part of your charity giving. If you would like to donate to, volunteer for, or help promote our program, or simply would like more information, feel free to contact me directly
James D Garcia, CEO
Share the Health Cambodia
411 Mirror Lake Pl
Fayetteville NC 28303
(910) 709-7370
shadomoon2000@yahoo.com
Sharethehealthcambodia.org
https://www.facebook.com/ShareTheHealthCambodia/
Share the Health Cambodia is a US based nonprofit 501(c)(3) LLC with the purpose of improving access to qualified healthcare to the people of rural Cambodia. Our current project will train Ambulance workers toward a modern EMS system
