Child Mortality Rate in Cambodia Is Declining – Monday, 5.10.2009

Posted on 6 October 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 633

http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

(Post by CAAI News Media)

“Phnom Penh: Child mortality rate in Cambodia is declining, a good sign for Cambodia to possibly achieve the Millennium Development Goals of Cambodia.

“Most directors of various hospitals at provinces and cities claimed there are now better health condition for children in the country.

“The director of the Kratie Referral Hospital, Dr. Ou Khilay, said that though Malaria and respiratory diseases are increasing in the province, the child mortality rate from these diseases and other infectious diseases declined, compared to last year.

“He added that since the province has received equity funding from the government to help pay for poor people to receive health services, more people, both adults and children, have come to hospitals.

“The director of the Serei Saophoan Referral Hospital in Banteay Meanchey, Dr. Eav Daravuth, said that the mortality rate in the hospital dropped because of better strengthening and more efficient treatments. He added that there is still occasional child mortality, mostly resulting from late referral to the hospital.

“According to observations on population and health in Cambodia, the rate of 85 deaths of children under the age of one year in 2005 has declined to 66 deaths among 1,000 births. The rate of 124deaths of children under the age of 5 among 1,000 births between 2000 and 2005 has dropped to 83 deaths.

“The director of the National Child Hospital, Dr. Chhuo Imeng, said via telephone yesterday that while there are no ravaging diseases, we saw that some diseases, emergency ones, had killed children because of late referrals. He continued to say that the mortality rate of newly-delivered infants is high due to many factors, like the delivering of babies without expert midwives, no pre-check on pregnant women, and some babies are born with insufficient weight.

“He added that the diseases frequently found in the hospital that killed most children are respiratory disease, diarrhea, dengue fever, asthma, and malnutrition.

“He went on to say that anyway, the child mortality rate is declining, dropping about 1% to 1.3% at the hospital at present.

“Also, vaccinations helped to reduced the child mortality rate a lot.

“The director of the vaccination program, Professor San Chansoeun, said that the provision of seven types of vaccines, which cover 90% of the children, has contributed to reduce the child mortality rate considerably. He added, in 2010, the vaccination program will add Hip vaccine ["Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is a bacterium that infects the lining of the brain, causing meningitis"] into the program which can protect children from inflammation of the lung and from meningitis.” Rasmei

Kampuchea, Vol.17, #5012, 5.10.2009

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Monday, 5 October 2009