Health Agencies to Join in Assisting Cambodia's Villagers
By Curtis Winston,The Cambodia Daily

        The National Malaria Center is inviting other health agencies to join in providing 
comprehensive medical care to Cambodia's rural citizens.
        With the distribution of mosquito nets in rural areas, there also would be combined outreach 
activities against tetanus, measles, leprosy, intestinal diseases and vitamin A and iodine 
deficiencies, said Dr T Y Abdulcoyaume, director of the National Malaria Center, in a statement to 
the center's recent seminar.
        The combined outreach activities are intended to serve the high-risk populations living in 
very remote areas, Abdulcoyaume wrote.
        For the past two years, the National Malaria Center has been fighting the mosquito-borne 
disease with the distribution of nets in Ratanakkiri, Mondolkiri, Stung Treng, Kratie, Preah 
Vihear, Siem Reap, Battambang, Pursat, Kompong Speu and Kampot provinces. The center plans 
expanded distributions to Sihanoukville, Koh Kong and Banteay Meanchey provinces, as well as 
the municipality of Pailin.
        During mosquito net distributions, all villagers are screened for fever. In malaria-infested 
areas, the likelihood that the fever is caused by malaria is more than 50 percent, according to the 
center.
        The treatment is with a dose of Mefloquine in accordance to guidelines for age and body 
weight, as determined by medical authorities.
        In addition, doctors give all villagers a 500 mg dose of Mebendazol to treat hookworm 
infections of the intestines. These infections, which cause malnutrition and anemia, are present in 
two-thirds of the Cambodian population, according to the center.
        The Expanded Program for Immunizations is being invited to join the mosquito net 
distributions to hand out vitamin A capsules to children between 1 and 5 years of age. Children 
without vitamin A in these early years develop vision problems, health officials say.
        The EPI staff also is being invited to administer vaccinations during the net distributions, for 
such illnesses as measles and tetanus.
        Leprosy also is being targeted in this effort, and the National Leprosy Control Program is 
being invited to go along to screen for depigmented, hyposensitive skin lesions among villagers.
        Finally, the nutrition program and the UN Children's Fund are being invited help distribute 
iodized salt or iodine capsules and health education to women of child-bearing age. This activity 
will be most urgently needed in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces, Abdulcoyaume wrote.