Malaria has killed 44 Cambodians during the first seven months of this year, 25 percent down from 59 deaths of the same period last year, according to the record of the National Centre for Malaria on Tuesday.
The report showed that from January to July this year, 30,924 cases of malaria had been reported, up 17 percent from 26,308 cases during the same period last year.
However, the death toll was on a decline due to the efforts to combat the disease through education, mosquito nets distribution and timely medical treatment, said Char Meng Chuor, director of the National Centre for Malaria, on Tuesday.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease. In Cambodia, the disease is often found in rainy season and mostly happens in border provinces, forest and mountainous provinces such as Pailin, Banteay Meanchy, Udor Meanchey, Stung Treng, Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, and Kratie.
The centre has announced to distribute about 2.7 million mosquito nets this year to combat the disease.
Last year, the centre reported 60,000 cases of malaria, which killed 118 people in Cambodia.
