Cambodia records 54% decrease in cases in 2016

February 9, 2017 5:24 PM

23,630 malaria cases were recorded in 2016, showing 54 per cent decrease as against 51,260 cases recorded in 2015.

Some 214 million cases of malaria were reported worldwide last year, killing 438,000 people, mainly in Africa, according to the World Health Organization

The National Centre for Malaria Control on Thursday said Cambodia recorded 54 per cent decrease in Malaria cases in 2016 compared to in 2015.

A statement issued by the centre said that 23,630 malaria cases were recorded in 2016, showing 54 per cent decrease as against 51,260 cases recorded in 2015.

It said that the disease killed one person last year, remarkably dropped from 10 deaths in 2015.

It added that the incident rate was 1.51 out of 1,000 people last year and the annual fatal rate was 0.01 out of 100,000 people.

“The figures show that Cambodia is on the track to eradicate malaria cases by 2025,” it said.

The Southeast Asian country last year had launched 142 million dollars, a five-year plan to eliminate the death from malaria by 2020 and set a target to wipe out malaria cases by 2025.

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

To prevent the disease, people living in malaria-prone areas need to sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets at all time.