Dengue Cases 5x Higher Than 2018

Since January Cambodia has recorded 21,130 cases of dengue fever, which has led to the deaths of 25 people.

The update was shared recently by Director of Communicable Disease Control Department and Health Ministry Spokesperson H.E. Dr. Ly Sovann.

The figure shows a fivefold increase compared to the same period last year with the most affected provinces being Prey Veng, Siem Reap, Preah Vihear, Kampong Speu, Kandal, Kep, Kampot, Mondulkiri, and Kratie.

The Ministry of Health and other authorities are working hard to further build the awareness of the disease among the public and to ensure effective health service across the country.

Cambodia is not the only ASEAN country suffering the outbreak of dengue fever. According to July 16 update from the Philippines Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (PIDSR) system, there were 106,630 dengue cases reported from January 1 to June 29, including 456 deaths. The current dengue incidence in the country is 85 percent higher than in 2018.

As explained by H.E. Dr. Ly Sovann, based on the tracking globally, severe outbreaks of dengue fever happen once in every five or six years.

At the Dengue Stakeholder Meeting here yesterday, H.E. Ms. Or Vandine, Secretary of State for Health, affirmed that dengue fever is now in a manageable situation. She thus called for continued collaboration from all stakeholders in order to timely prevent and manage the risks caused by the spread of this deadly disease.

Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism H.E. Thong Khon appealed to directors of municipal and provincial tourism departments, owners of tourism service-related businesses and tour operators to actively take part in carrying out dengue prevention measures in order to contribute to combating dengue fever and to ensuring the well-being of national and international tourists.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press