The Ministry of Health expects a dangerous year for diseases and heat trauma as a result of the extreme weather that the Kingdom is experiencing, according to a series of public statements this week.

Ly Sovann, a ministry spokesman, said that dwindling water supplies mean that more people were drinking water of questionable quality.

Meanwhile, the heat was causing microbes to multiply at a faster rate, increasing the risk of diarrhoeal illnesses, and increased storage of stagnant water during the drought might raise the risk of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria.

“People have to be careful and make sure to sterilise their water, clean their house to keep flies out, and cover their food and water containers,” said Sovann in an interview.

Meanwhile, many patients had reported feeling faint and tired, which Sovann blamed on dehydration and heat exhaustion.