Among the Southeast Asian countries where Terre des Hommes Netherlands is working, Cambodia has the highest under-five mortality rate and the highest infant mortality rate. Cambodia also has the lowest level of access to safe drinking water and sanitation, which makes its children more susceptible to waterborne illnesses.

In several countries there is great inequity in access to quality health services, as the poor cannot afford the high cost of care and cannot travel the physical distance to medical centres. Even when health services are within reach, they are often of poor quality. Most health developments occur in urban areas, rather than in rural areas, where needs are greater at times.

Preventative health care campaigns on basic hygiene, nutritional awareness and basic immunizations have been addressed in Early Childhood Education programmes and through home-visits to parents.