TB cases witness slight decline but border areas rise
THE National Centre for Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control (CENAT) has reported that over the course of 2023, over 30,000 tuberculosis (TB) cases were detected, a slight decline compared to 2022.
CENAT director Huot Chan Yuda said on February 12 that some of the cases had been fatal. However, he could not yet confirm the deaths because the final tally was not complete.
“We believe we have identified a slight decrease in 2023,” he added.
Last year, Yuda reported that 32,000 cases had been recorded in 2022, an increase of 10 to 15 per cent over the previous year.
He said TB cases were recorded throughout the country, although precise figures were unavailable as health education remained limited in some regions, meaning living conditions and infections could vary greatly within a single province.
He cautioned that CENAT discovered that the Cambodia-Thailand and Cambodia-Vietnam border areas had definitely experienced an increase in TB diagnoses, particularly among migrant workers.
Yuda said that CENAT remained committed to indentifying all TB cases and would keep working to reduce infection and morality rates, in line with the Ministry of Health’s national strategy.
“We expect that TB cases will decrease with additional financial backing from the government and its partner organisations, as well as increased participation by the public,” he added.
He continued that this year, CENAT and its partners are working to compile a detailed record of national TB prevalence, in order to support a better eradication plan. In addition, the centre has extended health education to many local communities and migrant worker populations, as well as in factories and prisons.
Prak Von, director of the Kampong Chhnang provincial health department, said that TB cases in the province were nothing to be concerned about as it had brought rates of those who contracted the disease under control.
He added that across the province, about 800 TB cases were identified in 2023, a huge drop from the previous year. He also noted that each of the patients received treatment, with no one left behind.
“This year, we laid out an action plan to step up TB research at the grassroots level while also strengthening the quality of treatment. In addition, we increased our public education campaigning, so people will be better able to avoid infection,” he continued.
He added that each health centre in the province had TB testing equipment. When a patient developed similar symptoms, medical staff were able to isolate and test them, and if necessary, identify people they had been in contact with. This meant infection rates were reduced.