With funding from the Australian Government and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and technical support from WHO and other health partners, Cambodia has begun detecting cases in its third national Tuberculosis (TB) Prevalence Survey. Previous surveys were conducted in 2002 and 2011. The results of the third survey will allow Cambodia to understand the country’s current TB epidemiology better and improve its TB control, to help end the disease that claimed 1.6 million lives globally in 2021.
For decades, Cambodia has made solid progress in TB control. Since 2000, about half a million people have been cured of TB and an estimated 400 000 lives have been saved. Thanks to the continuing efforts of the National Centre for Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control (CENAT) and its partners to expand TB control activities, rates of bacteriologically confirmed TB have declined by 45% between the national TB Prevalence Surveys carried out in 2002 and 2011.
However, the 2011 survey also found that many cases were not being identified – partly because people did not have symptoms and therefore did not seek treatment.
In response, the health authorities began to screen people more actively in high-risk population groups including older people, contacts of people with bacteriologically confirmed TB, low-income urban residents, and people in marginalized communities.
“Although multiple sources of evidence indicate that the burden of TB is falling in Cambodia, there is uncertainty as the last survey was conducted more than a decade ago, and TB detection and care have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr Pascal Ringwald, Acting WHO Representative to Cambodia. “This survey will contribute to an updated, evidence-based strategy that will help to find every case and eliminate TB.”
The survey team is collecting data from 52 clusters across the country. The results will help Cambodia develop a better plan to end TB, save lives and protect families from catastrophic costs that push them further into poverty, while aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and End TB Strategy targets.
Dr Huot Chan Yuda, Director of CENAT said, “It is important to be able to track the trend of TB prevalence, and through the screening process, people who test positive are also referred for treatment. Early treatment can improve their chances of recovery, reduce their financial distress, and decrease their risk of spreading the disease in their communities.”
Justin Whyatt, Australia’s Ambassador to Cambodia said, “Building the evidence about TB prevalence is an important part of supporting Cambodia to eliminate TB. It sits alongside Australia’s work to help Cambodia improve the health system so everyone can get good quality treatment.” With results expected in mid-2024, the data collected will not only help shape Cambodia’s TB-free future but also contribute to the global fight against tuberculosis.
WHO and the Australian Government are working together to support the Cambodia’s goal to improve Tuberculosis (TB) control and care in line with the End TB Strategy 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cambodia’s National Centre for Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control (CENAT), with funding support from the Australian Government and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and technical support from WHO, the Research Institute of Tuberculosis and the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association (RIT/JATA), the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge (IPC), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is conducting the third national TB Prevalence Survey in 2023, with results expected in mid-2024.