Prime Minister Hun Manet has urged the relevant ministries and institutions, as well as sub-national administrations, to unite with the public to fight the threat of tuberculosis (TB).
Despite Cambodia’s success in reducing the number of illnesses and deaths caused by the disease, he instructed the authorities to accelerate their work.
His instructions were conveyed in a letter marking World Tuberculosis Day on March 24, observed this year under the theme “Yes! We can end tuberculosis”.
The day is marked annually to promote public health awareness and draw attention to the fight against TB.
“Over the past few years, we have accomplished results that we can be proud of. Two decades ago, Cambodia had some of the highest tuberculosis rates in the world. In just a short period of time, we have become a model for reduction of the illness,” said Manet.
The letter explained that TB deaths have declined by 45 per cent. There were 42 deaths per 100,000 people in 2000 and just 23 in 2022. TB infections also decreased by 45 per cent, from 579 cases per 100,000 people in 2000 to just 320 in 2022.
Manet added that the excellent outcomes were the result of concerted efforts by the entire Kingdom. He noted that the government has expanded services in the examination and the treatment of TB at all referral hospitals and clinics across the country, in line with the DOTS (Directly Observed Therapy – Short Course) strategy recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“We have provided people with free TB treatment and achieved remarkable successes, especially when compared with many other countries,” he said.
Despite this success, he noted that some challenges remain and called for efforts to be sped up, in line with the Kingdom’s sustainable development goals, as those of the world.
“In this spirit, we must all continue to pay close attention to solving TB-related problems efficiently and effectively, to improve public health and the quality of people’s lives,” he said.
“We accomplished our millennium development goals of reducing the rates of illness and death from TB four years before our deadline. As a small country, we should all be extremely proud of this. However, there is more work to do,” he added.
