Wednesday, 11 July 2012
China yesterday pledged to provide medical experts and funding to
assist the investigation and clinical management of a virus that has killed more
than 60 Cambodian children.
Eang Sophalleth, personal spokesman
for Prime Minister Hun Sen, told reporters the pledge had been made during a
meeting between the premier and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi yesterday
in Phnom Penh.
“There is a mysterious disease that is responsible
for killing more than 60 Cambodian children. So China would like to provide
experts and funding to assist Cambodia in finding the cause of the disease,”
Sophalleth quoted Yang as saying to Hun Sen.
Cambodia’s largest
children’s hospital, Kantha Bopha, has reported that 64 children have died
from the virus since April.
Tests being conducted by Kantha Bopha and
the Ministry of Health and the World Health
Organisation have recently identified the disease as enterovirus 71 –
a virus associated with hand, foot and mouth disease that can cause severe
complications for children.
WHO epidemiologist Dr Nima Asgari said the
details of the co-operation with incoming Chinese experts was a matter for the
Ministry of Health, but welcomed the additional assistance.
“What I can
say is that China does have a lot of experience with clinical management of this
virus,” Asgari said.
China has experienced several outbreaks of EV-71,
including severe outbreaks in 2008 and 2009 that claimed hundred of lives,
according to media reports of the events. During the 2008 outbreaks, the US
embassy in Beijing reported that “all the deaths were children less than six
years old, and most were under two years of age”.
The commitment of
expert assistance and funding was part of Yang’s promise from China to continue
providing loans and aid to Cambodia as well as pushing for business and
investment and tourists to the Kingdom.
According to Sophalleth, Hun Sen
thanked China for its continuing support for Cambodia.http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012071157342/National-news/china-to-lend-hand-in-battle-with-killer-virus.html
