Cambodia reports 15,980 malaria case in H1 2014

PHNOM PENH, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has reported 15,980 malaria cases in the first six months of 2014, down 18 percent from 19,560 cases over the same period last year, a health official said Sunday.

During the January-June period this year, the disease killed 5 people--one person less than those killed over the same period last year, Dr. Char Meng Chuor, director of the National Center for Malaria, said at a press statement.

"There are averagely 1.1 malaria cases among 1,000 people in Cambodia," he said. "In sum, death from malaria is no longer a major threat for the Cambodian people."

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease, which is often found in rainy seasons and mostly happens in forest and mountainous provinces.

"People living in malaria-affected provinces should sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets at nights to prevent themselves from mosquitoes," he said.

The Southeast Asian nation is committed to stopping death from malaria by 2015 and entirely eliminating the disease by 2025, he said.

Last year, malaria killed 12 Cambodians.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/xinhua-news-agency/140720/cambodia-reports-15980-malaria-case-h1-2014