PhnomPenhPost-July 16
Cambodia has achieved a historic milestone by eliminating indigenous malaria transmission. According to a July 16 statement from the Ministry of Health, the Kingdom has maintained zero locally transmitted cases since the third quarter of 2025. The ministry attributed the success to the implementation of its National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan 2011-2025, which laid out surveillance, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rapid response strategies. The plan was carried out by the ministry, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), government institutions, local authorities, development partners, the private sector and communities nationwide. It noted that these coordinated efforts have made an important contribution to improving public health, as well as supporting socio-economic development. Cambodia is now entering the “prevention of re-establishment” phase, as it works towards obtaining WHO malaria-free certification by 2030. Health officials warned that the Kingdom continues to face the risk of imported malaria from other countries where transmission remains active, particularly through cross-border movement of at-risk populations, including of monkeys. According to the ministry, no new indigenous malaria cases were detected during the first six months of 2026, representing a 100 per cent reduction in local transmission. No malaria-related deaths have been recorded since 2018. The key to the success is an extensive real-time surveillance system operating across the country. The 24-hour reporting network links village malaria workers with public health facilities, including health posts, health centers, referral hospitals, provincial hospitals and national hospitals, enabling rapid case detection and response to prevent the disease from becoming re-established. As a result of the system’s effectiveness, the ministry said no suspected indigenous malaria cases have been detected in border areas during 2026. Read more at: https://phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodia-eliminates-indigenous-malaria-imported-cases-could-pose-challenge/
