Malaria deaths, infections on rise in 2009 in Cambodia

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11/17/2009

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

PHNOM PENH, Nov 17, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The number of malaria cases and deaths nearly doubled in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year, local media reported on Wednesday, citing officials from the Ministry of Health.

According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health's National Malaria Center, 60,157 recorded malaria cases led to 213 deaths from January through September of this year, compared to 38, 261 cases and 133 deaths for the same period in 2008. And it is pointing to heavy rains and increased migration to the northwest region of the country as the reason.

"The cases are increasing compared to last year since more and more people are moving from non-malaria areas to the malaria areas in order to work as cassava planters, land speculators, and those preparing the land for farming," the Cambodia Daily quoted Norng Sao Kry, deputy chief of the malaria center in Phnom Penh as saying.

Sao Kry said fatalities were also on the rise because infected patients were waiting too long to seek treatment. In response, the government has begun public information campaigns to warn people to take precautions, how to spot symptoms of malaria and to seek treatment as soon as possible.

"We have volunteer groups going directly to educate people and also to care for the patients," Sao Kry said.

In July, Health Ministry officials were blaming the rising malaria rates on the early start of the rainy season.

The Cambodian government has been making efforts to teach people in the provinces how to avoid the parasite and the radio broadcasts information about how people can protect themselves from malaria and also to always sleep under the mosquito net.