Phnom Penh: Dengue fever cases are dropping in Cambodia. Between January and early September, cases have dropped more than six times compared to 2020. The President of the National Center for Malaria Control, Parasitology and Anthropology, Dr. Hul Reko, published the data this week, recording 1,002 infections and three deaths. Last year, across the same period, 6,299 cases and eight deaths were reported.

The doctor credits the drop to the quality of health services with an increasing number of doctors at provincial hospitals. Another aspect to be noted is increased public awareness, especially about symptoms and preventative measures.

Dengue fever is carried by mosquitos whose infected eggs hatch in standing water, most especially at the start of the annual rainy season. The Ministry of Health has been distributing pesticides to health departments across the Kingdom, in an effort to destroy eggs before they hatch.