Cambodia Nurses Association president Prak Manila has been recognised by the international NGO Women in Global Health (WGH) by making their 2020 list of 100 Outstanding Women in Nursing.

According to the WGH, hundreds of women were nominated through an online submission form that evaluates them according to eight categories that are pertinent to the improvement of nursing and midwife practises and leadership.

The selection process was based on those eight areas along with an assessment of their contributions to global health. The list of over 100 finalists included women from 43 countries and the competition was judged by representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and four other partner organisations doing work related to public health.

“This recognition has great meaning for me personally and also for my nation. I am proud and delighted to have the opportunity to be an international representative for the nursing profession in Cambodia. It is a reflection of the great progress that has been achieved in improving healthcare for Cambodians,” Manila told The Post on December 22.

Manila has been involved in the healthcare sector in Cambodia for many years. In 2013 she founded the Cambodian Association of Nurses, an organisation registered with the Ministry of Interior and recognised by the Ministry of Health which she still leads today.

Since July, she has been working as a consultant on the project Enhancing Quality of Healthcare Activity (EQHA) funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through the NGO FHI360 Cambodia.

She has also served in various roles in the Angkor Hospital for Children’s Saving Babies’ Lives programme in Preah Vihear province. She is currently a board member on the hospital’s board of directors.

She also assisted the health ministry in developing their recommendations for standard practices and a code of ethics for nurses in Cambodia.

As the president of Cambodia Nurses Association, she provides training to nurses who are working in public and pri vate institutions through online courses.

Last September, she was granted a fellowship at the International Council of Nursing in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Recently, I have been invited by an international nursing institution to do a presentation and workshop and to attend a high profile international forum for nurses,” she told The Post.

“All of the work that I do has provided me with many opportunities to step onto the global stage and I try to learn from everyone I meet there. But more importantly, it gives me a chance to demonstrate my professional knowledge and abilities, both as a Cambodian woman and as a Cambodian nurse who is proudly representing all Cambodian nurses.”