Dr Veasnakiry has worked in the public health sector for 34 years. He was an assistant surgeon in a national hospital from 1989 to 1993 and then moved to work at the Department of Planning & Health Information, the Ministry of Health.
As a policy planner, he possessed strong knowledge and experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating health policies and strategies, regulations, and plans in evolving contexts, including demographic dynamics, epidemiological transition, technological advancement, transformative social, economic, and environmental determinants of health.
He has extensively reformed the health sector, both organizationally and financially, since 1993. The main objective of the reform is to improve and extend primary health care through a district-based health system approach to improving people’s health outcomes and enhancing financial protection in access to quality healthcare services.
Dr Veasnakiry earned a Master of Arts degree in Health Management, Planning and Policy in 1996 from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, and a Diploma of Medical Doctor in 1989 from the Faculty Mix of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-stomatology (currently, University of Health Sciences), Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
He has participated in academic teaching as a lecturer for health policy and planning. He has also been involved in health system research as co-investigator, and research publications as co-author, in collaboration with national and international academic institutions and international agencies.