Cambodia no longer in WHO’s top 30 nations with high TB rate

In an interview with Khmer Times recently, World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative of Cambodia Dr. Li Ailan said that the Kingdom has made good achievement in TB prevention and control over the past years. “Cambodia is no longer in the WHO list of top 30 countries with high TB burden (2021-2025),” she said.

The disease remains endemic in the country, but young children are at risk of TB as their immune system is still developing. “Children living in a household with others affected by infectious TB are especially susceptible, and newborn children of mothers with TB are at high risk,” she said.

Dr. Ailan pointed out that finding TB cases continue to be challenging. It is difficult to diagnose TB in young children as they may not display typical TB symptoms, or it may not be possible to take samples for testing.  “This makes it very hard to determine the exact number of childhood TB cases in Cambodia. But we do know that, in 2021, over 5,000 childhood cases of TB were notified and treated across the country, using a new drug formulation specific to children,” she said.
 

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