Malaria death toll in Cambodia down 42 pct in 9 months

Cambodia recorded only 35 deaths from malaria during the first nine months of this year, a 42 percent decrease from 60 deaths at the same period last year, according to a report of the National Center for Malaria Control released here Saturday. The report attributed the drop in the malaria death toll to awareness campaigns and the distribution of mosquito nets to the disease-prone groups of people. In August, the center began to distribute about 1.14 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets to groups of vulnerable people. Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease. In Cambodia, the disease is often found in the rainy season and mostly happens in border provinces, and forest and mountainous provinces. The country is committed to eradicating the death from malaria by 2015. To reach the goal, it needs a budget of 131 million U.S. dollars, according to the center. In 2011, the disease killed 98 people in the country.