Dengue outbreak kills 102 Cambodian children since January
14/9/2006 16:15
Dengue fever killed 102 children in Cambodia from January to September in
one of the worst years of its outbreaks since 1998, the Cambodia Daily reported
today. Meanwhile, a total of 10,201 children had fallen ill with the disease
since the year started, the paper quoted Ngan Chantha, director of the Ministry
of Health's National Dengue Control Program. "We are sounding the alarm for
people to be aware of the disease," he said, adding that Kompong Cham and Kandal
provinces were the worst hit areas, along with Phnom Penh. Poverty often
meant that children with dengue could not receive medical treatment, as "people
are busy taking care of their stomachs," said the director. In addition, poor
people suffered from low-quality sanitation and other living conditions, which
provided a climate favorable for the spread of dengue, he added. The Ministry
of Health spent US$one million each year for medical equipment, training and
technical support to combat the epidemic, he said. This ensured that children
who received prompt medical attention could recover, he added. In 2005, 155
Cambodian children died from Dengue, out of 6,000 who were reported to become
infected. The worst years for dengue in recent years were 1998 and 2003, with
hundreds of Cambodians killed nationwide.
xinhua
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