Health officials have reported that the dengue epidemic has been reduced to a manageable level. Hong Menea
The Ministry of Health said the dengue epidemic had been relieved to a manageable level despite the fact that to date, the number of people who suffered from it this year is almost three times higher than in the same period last year.
The ministry’s National Dengue Control Programme (NDCP) director Leang Rithea told The Post on Monday that from January to mid-November, more than 60,000 people had suffered from dengue fever across the country.
The number had nearly tripled from last year, but the situation was manageable.
Although the number of infections had increased by twice to three times if compared with the same period last year, the number of deaths decreased.
“There was a decrease [nationwide], while the provinces that have the largest population, including Phnom Penh, are those with an increasing number of infections,” he said.
During this year’s outbreak, Rithea said the ministry had used more than 200 tonnes of Abate larvicide and more than 3,000 litres of pesticide to kill larvae and to prevent people from being infected with dengue fever, which is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
“We have no shortage of drugs, so we also have enough material to fight against it [the disease]. The leadership, especially the minister, pays very high attention to this [matter].
“Dengue fever has been relieved a lot,” said the ministry’s spokeswoman Or Vandine on Monday.
Kampong Thom is a province with a high rate of dengue fever. Provincial Health Department director Srey Sin told The Post on Monday that within some 40 weeks, there had been more than 1,000 cases of infections since the outbreak began.
However, there were no deaths among Kampong Thom residents who sought treatment in the province.
Sin said that at the moment dengue fever cases in Kampong Thom province had decreased, and almost no new infections had occurred.
“Earlier this year, we visited the field to educate people and raise awareness to prevent dengue fever. If there are suspicious symptoms, a person has to be sent immediately to a health centre or hospital for treatment.
“In the meantime, we have launched a campaign to release larvae-killing insecticide in high-risk villages,” Sin said.
According to a Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital’s report, from January 1 to November 15, it had received 875,208 children for examination and treatment. Of those, more than 33,000 were hospitalised with severe dengue fever.
