At a meeting with internationalcounterparts in Phnom Penh on March 14, First Vice Chairman of NCDMNhim Vanda said the timely response of relevant authorities to improvepublic awareness of the threat of the pandemic is the reason behind thesuccess.
The Royal Government of Cambodia highlyvalued the support and effective coordination of the JapaneseGovernment, European Union (EU) and United Nation agencies to fight AI,he noted.
However, Vanda also admitted that thepandemic can re-emerge anytime because of the unhygienic customs ofpoultry farmers and butchers, particularly in rural areas.
Cambodia had the highest rate of H5N1 fatality of any country inthe first two months of 2013, with 8 deaths, 5 of which occurred indistricts bordering Vietnam.
Earlier thismonth, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen urged relevant ministries tourgently respond to the pandemic after the alarming increase of H5N1cases in the country.
According to the World HealthOrganisation (WHO), since its first appearance in 2003, AI has killed365 people. Cambodia alone has recorded 30 cases with only threesurvivors.-VNA