Cambodia dengue fever outbreak 2012

Since the beginning of 2012, an outbreak of dengue fever in Cambodia has killed 14 children. So far 2281 people have been affected by the potentially deadly disease – a rate of infection estimated to be four times higher than the same period last year.

Dengue fever causes rashes, vomiting and a dangerously high temperature. Outbreaks often begin at the onset of the rainy season in May in Cambodia. With persistent rainy weather predicted and an unusual increase in mosquito larvae seen in the first months of 2012, Cambodia could face its worst recorded epidemic of the disease.

Children’s lives are at risk if the signs of this pending epidemic are not tackled quickly.

The Cambodian Ministry of Health is responding. They have delivered about 270 tons of Abate, used to kill the larvae of mosquitoes that cause dengue fever, to affected districts and plan to deliver more in the coming months.

Save the Children is on the ground in Cambodia and we are monitoring the situation closely. Staff have begun a prevention campaign. They are cooperating with health department officials to distribute Abate to households in 45 villages in the affected Kampong Cham province.

Our teams are also working with community volunteers, using posters and loud speakers to conduct vital awareness-raising sessions in communities and villages where there is a high risk of dengue fever.

This includes helping communities take life-saving prevention measures such as sleeping under mosquito nets and removing broken pots that may collect water as well as draining standing water before it becomes a breeding ground for the disease.

Children are often the most vulnerable to emergencies caused by outbreaks of disease. The more prepared we are before an emergency, the faster we can respond and the more children we can save and support. 

Regular donations to Save the Children’s Emergency Fund help us prepare before emergencies happen. When disaster strikes, it means we are ready to deliver immediate care and long-term assistance.

You can help Save the Children act fast to save lives in emergencies. Donate to our Children’s Emergency Fund