Cambodia hands out mosquito nets to fight malaria

Robert Carmichael, Phnom Penh

The Cambodian government has begun handing out the first of nearly 3 million mosquito nets as part of its strategy to eliminate malaria by 2025.

Cambodia's health minister handed out the first bed nets to villagers in the remote north-east of the country on Monday.

Between now and January, the government will target more than 4,000 villages that experts say are at the highest risk of malaria.

The distribution of 2.7 million insecticide-treated bed nets is being paid for by the Global Fund, and is the largest in Cambodia's history.

Malaria killed 135 people in Cambodia last year, a significant improvement on 2009 when twice as many died.

Phnom Penh wants to eliminate the disease within 15 years.

The World Health Organization's Cambodia office expects the number of malaria cases will halve as a result of this campaign.