& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Cambodia Encounters New Enemy

by Ian Steele
CAMBODIA is on the brink of a new war which cannot be fought with
Just hours after the United Nation's Special Represen tatire for Cambodia (Yasushi Akashi) look up residence In Phnom Penh recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced a new threat to those Involved In the peace process.
Their enemy Is an ex tremefy serious form of malaria which is resistant to the usual drug treatments. And WHO warns that many thousands of lives are Immediately al risk
The resistant strain of malaria is caused by the Plasmodium falciparum mosquito, which causes life threatening complications such as kidney failure or brain infection
One Irony of the peace pro cess In Cambodia this year Is that freedom Is likely to be a key agent In the transmission of malaria At greatest risk are the estimated 360.000 Cambodia refugees who began their Journey home form Thailand last March
But also at considerable risk are the 26,000 civilian and military personnel who have been sent by the United Nations to help guarantee their safety during Cambodia s tran sltton to peace and security through free and fair election*
WHO experts have warned of a severe shortage of phar maceutlcsila in Cambodia. In eluding slocks of quinine plua tetracycline, the main enter gency treatment for malaria Intravenous quinine dthy drochforide. quinine sulphate tablets and mefloquine are also tn short supply
'Resistance appears to be developing to most treatments.' said Dr Jean-Paul Menu. WHO s Special Health Envoy in Cambodia. 'In a typi cal clinic, a month s supply of pharmaceuticals runs out in a week Private traders, not physicians, are selling what ever supplies they can obtain.'
United Nations peacekeeping forces have been In structed to take multiple precautions against malarial mosquitoes. They have been told to use insect repellents.
and to sleep under bed-nets which have been impregnated with Insecticide
The development of resistant of the malaria parasite tn all ports of Cambodia outside Phnom Penh, has been pro moted by limited supplies of pharmaceuticals and difficul-lles establishing health care In areas affected by two decades of military action.
Dr Menu said that during this period, mpny people received un supervised, partial treatments. which allowed the mnlMrla parasite to survive and develop resistance The victim got some relief but eventually became sick again When the victim was bitten again, the
picked up and carried to a new victim who picked up a rests tant strain.
If iheat person also re celvcd only partial treatment, then the cycle continued, with succeeding victims picking up Irarcasln^y res la la nt strains of malaria
According to WHO. this vicious cycle has In fact been repeated again and again throughout the militarily dis puled mountainous areas close to the border with Thailand, creating malaria parasites which are resistant to most known pharmaceuticals. Migration has spread resistance from the border area westward, and peace tn Cambodia now appears likely to carry a back
The Cambodian border with Thailand is now potentially more hostile than tt was at the height of armed conflict. Many young migrants have been drawn to the area by rich reserves of timber and gemstones even though the terrain has been heavily mined by various armed factions
"Although the mines arc
killing between Iwo and four Ersons a day. malaria Is
Hing very more." said Dr Menu.
WHO estimates that Cambodia has only 25 per cent of the pharmaceuticals it needs to mount an offensive against this new wave of
When United Nations peacekeepers are in malarious areas for prolonged periods they will take regular doses of doxycycline, an antibiotic which has not been used or abused to the area
There la. as yet, no hard evidence of parasite resistance to the drug but the down side for those who lake It. la that there haa also been little experience with profaned use of doxycycline. and the peacekeepers •411 have to be medically moni to red for side effects
- IX-p th news Asia.