Authors
HE Prof Mam Bunheng, Minister of Health
Dr Takeshi Kasai, Regional Director for the Western Pacific, World Health Organization
One of the oldest threats to human health, malaria kills more than 400 000 people every year. The global malaria community is urging countries to reinforce their commitment to rid the world of this disease once and for all. Cambodia joins hands with its neighbours in the Greater Mekong Sub-region to end malaria.
As one of the six countries that make up the Greater Mekong Sub-region, Cambodia continues to commit to eliminating malaria before 2030 through a call for action at the ministerial level throughout the Sub-region. In the last five years, the Sub-region has more than halved the number of malaria cases and reduced deaths by more than 80%. Cambodia has the ambitious target to eliminate all human malaria in its territory by 2025.
To commemorate World Malaria Day on 25 April, Cambodia will hold events to raise awareness this 22 April in Koh Nhek, Mondulkiri, which is one of the remaining endemic areas. We, the Minister of Health of Cambodia and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Western Pacific, will both attend to raise support and political commitment to driving away the disease.
Cambodia has remarkable achievements to celebrate this year. The country had zero malaria-related deaths last year. Moreover, the number of infections caused by Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest type of malaria, decreased by almost 30% compared to 2017.
At the same time, we must look toward the remaining challenges. In Cambodia, malaria primarily affects forest goers in rural areas. Ensuring access to malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment for them is crucial and furthers Cambodia’s commitment to universal health coverage.
Last September, the National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, with support from WHO and partners, launched an intensified response plan to target the most-at-risk populations. This plan focuses on strengthening malaria prevention and improving case management through health centres and village and mobile malaria workers. We promote and encourage Cambodian people, including mobile and migrant populations, to utilize free malaria treatment, as indicated in the National Strategy and Policy for Malaria Elimination 2011-2025, so that cost is not a barrier to protecting them. Malaria preventive measures for individuals are also applicable among mobile and migrant populations.
Aside from universal access, we face another issue of drug resistance. We continue to detect multidrug-resistant parasites in Cambodia and neighbouring countries. Left unaddressed, antimicrobial resistance poses serious threats to health security. The National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control works with WHO and partners to monitor the efficacy of antimalarial medicines to guide national treatment policies. Tackling antimicrobial resistance, including resistance to antimalarials, is also a top priority for WHO in the Western Pacific Region.
This year’s World Malaria Day theme “Zero malaria starts with me” is about keeping malaria high on the political agenda. It is also a grass-roots campaign, promoting community empowerment for taking ownership of malaria prevention and care.
The WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, notes: “Ultimately, investing in universal health coverage is the best way to ensure that all communities have access to the services they need to beat malaria. Individual and community empowerment through grass-roots initiatives like 'Zero malaria starts with me' can also play a critical role in driving progress.”
The Ministry of Health of Cambodia and WHO fully support empowering communities to drive malaria elimination. We gather aptly in Koh Nhek, one of the few remaining areas where Cambodians are still afflicted by the disease. Eliminating malaria from these final areas will be a significant milestone not only for the Greater Mekong Subregion, but also for the world. Cambodia’s success will be a beacon for other countries and areas in the Western Pacific Region to end the deadly disease.