Cambodia Sees 33,770 Malaria Cases In 10 Months, Eight People Dead

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Cambodia reported 33,770 malaria cases in the first ten months of the year, a drop of 43 percent from 59,670 cases a year earlier, Xinhua news agency reported a health official as saying Saturday.

A total of eight patients died during the ten-month period, down 78 percent from 37 a year earlier, said Char Meng Chuor, director of the National Centre for Malaria.

"Based on the figures, we can say that death toll from malaria is no longer a major threat for the Cambodian people," he said in a press release.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease, which is often found in rainy seasons and mostly happens in forest and mountainous provinces. Last year, the country had distributed 2.2 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets to the vulnerable groups of people.

Char Meng Chuor said the government is committed to stopping death from malaria by 2015 and completely eliminating it by 2025.

Last year, malaria killed 45 people.

-- BERNAMA

source

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/wn/newsworld.php?id=995487