By:
• Uth Raksmey

• September 12, 2024 , 7:15 PM

PHNOM PENH – Diabetes and high blood pressure are the top two causes of deaths among non-communicable diseases (NCDs). 

Health Minister Chheang Ra identified the issues on Sept. 11 during the press forum on “The Situation of Health Care, Challenges, and Opportunities in Cambodia” at the Calmette Hospital. 

NCDs are chronic diseases that cause disability and loss of ability to work, which may leave patients in poverty due to long-term treatments and high costs of healthcare. 

“This statement is not to worry people, but to warn them to be more attentive to their health,” he said. 

The other common causes include cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer in cervical, breast, liver, lung and brain.  

The minister said NCDs are a major problem in the healthcare sector, responsible for over half of deaths caused by diseases in the country.

NCDs were responsible for 64 percent of deaths by 2018. One in every four Cambodians (23%) dies prematurely, before the age of 70, from one of the four main NCDs, according to a World Health Organization report in 2019.  

The minster urged the public to be more cautious and protect their health from a young age, and to seek consultation or treatment as soon as they become sick before their conditions get worse. 

The worse conditions will require more advanced treatments in specialized hospitals, which leads to higher costs and farther hospitalization from home. 

Chheang Ra said some Cambodians still seek treatment abroad. In 2023, 200,000 to 250,000 of Cambodians sought treatments abroad compared to over 13.4 million treated locally. 

The ministry would strengthen local healthcare to reduce the number. 

“Although it’s only 1.5 percent of the total patients, the ministry has taken it seriously and will improve local health services to decrease the number, not only in public sector but also cooperating with the private sector,” he said. 

 

Meng Seavmey contributed to the story.