The German government in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday provided equipment and supplies to health facilities in three Cambodian provinces to improve maternal and newborn health, according to a joint statement.

The equipment and supplies valued at $500,000 includes ultrasound scanners, foetal heart detectors, sterilizing apparatus, surgical delivery instruments and resuscitators, while the supplies are newborn kits with baby care items to be given to mothers attending government health facilities.

"They will be used to enhance the delivery of quality essential and emergency obstetric and newborn care services to some 300,000 women of reproductive age attending government health centers and hospitals in Kampong Thom, Kampot and Kep provinces," the statement said.

It added that each year, there are approximate 36,000 pregnant women in the three provinces.

"The equipment will help to prevent and effectively treat the complications that can arise during pregnancy, delivery or in the first weeks after delivery," it said.

Held in Kampong Thom province, the handover ceremony for the medical equipment and supplies was presided over by German Ambassador to Cambodia Wolfgang Moser and Cambodian Secretary of State for Health Prof. Eng Huot.

Limited resources -- human and financial -- continued to be a major constraint to scale-up essential and life-saving health interventions to reduce maternal mortality in Cambodia, Eng Huot said.

"We are most grateful that the German government and UNICEF have responded together to work with us to address this issue," he said.