International
UN donates $50,000 to fight dengue in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 24 (Xinhua): The United Nations (UN) will provide a grant of $50,000 to Cambodia as part of an effort to curb the spread of dengue fever throughout the country, a press release said Thursday.

The grant from the Government of Italy will be channeled through the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Cambodia, the UN press release said adding, that it will be used to buy IV fluids, blood transfusion sets and other essential medical supplies.

According to a recent situation analysis and assessment made by WHO and Cambodia's Ministry of Health, there has been a shortage of essential medical supplies in several state hospitals.

The hospitals that are most affected are in the provinces of Kampong Cham, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Prey Veng and Takeo, it added.

"These hospitals are in need of medical supplies to meet the demands of an increasing number of patients. Most of the patients are children under 12," said Dr. Michael O'Leary, WHO representative in Cambodia.

The supplies will be distributed to the target hospitals in the above provinces through the government Central Medical Store, the press release said.

So far, a total of 33,700 hospitalized cases and 355 deaths have been reported in Cambodia this year due to dengue fever, most of them children, according to official statistics.

International

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