“I was shocked to see a 30-year-old woman bedridden with diabetes, to the point of losing consciousness, swollen due to kidney failure and unable to urinate,” said Minister of Health Chheang Ra, expressing his concern about the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and Cambodia’s preparedness for its growing elderly population.

Speaking at a meeting with journalists at Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh on September 11, Ra noted that while infectious diseases were once the primary cause of death in the country, NCDs now account for more than half of fatalities.

“The most severe NCDs are diabetes and high blood pressure, which are serious health issues. These conditions lead to serious complications such as vascular diseases, heart blockages and neurological conditions. These issues result in disabilities, including strokes caused by blocked blood vessels,” he explained.

Ra added that in addition to diabetes and high blood pressure, other major health threats include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and various cancers, particularly cervical and ovarian cancers in women, as well as liver cancer.

He emphasised that these diseases have a significant impact on family economies. To address this, the health ministry is working with the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications to disseminate education messages via cellphone ringback voice announcements.

“We now have health education messages being broadcast over the phone. I would like to express my gratitude to the telecommunications ministry and the telecom companies for helping us by sharing these messages through phone calls,” Ra said.

To prevent diabetes, he encouraged citizens to reduce their consumption of sugar, salt and fat, engage in regular physical activity and get routine health checkups for early detection of diabetes and cancer, so that issues can be addressed at primary health centres nationwide.

“If diabetes reaches the third or fourth stage, health centres cannot manage it effectively due to severe kidney failure and vision loss. This leads to paralysis on one side of the body, stroke or heart blockages, and these conditions take time to address,” Ra said.

He emphasised that these diseases are increasingly common in other developing countries as well. As the economy grows, the incidence of non-communicable diseases rises. Therefore, the government is focusing on a vision that must adapt to the development context.

He emphasised that such diseases are becoming increasingly common in other developing countries as well. As economies grow, he said the incidence of NCDs rises. Therefore, the government is focused on a vision that must adapt to this evolving context.

Ra warned that without proper attention, addressing diabetes alone could cost hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

In addition to NCDs, he highlighted another pressing issue for Cambodia: the increasing number of people over 60 years old and the rising life expectancy. He pointed out that developed countries often face the challenge of managing a growing elderly population.

Ra said that in France, 20 per cent of the population is senior citizens, and added that Japan faces an even greater issue, with 29 per cent of its population being elderly.

He said that in Cambodia, the percentage of the aged population increased from 5.2 per cent in 2000 to 8.9 per cent in 2019. He underscored that by 2050, the proportion of elderly people is expected to surpass 20 per cent, similar to other rapidly developing countries.

Ra said the growing elderly population poses a challenge in terms of care and social support.

“By 2050, when Cambodia is expected to reach high-income status, 21 per cent of the population will be over 60, similar to France. This is something we must prepare for in advance,” he explained.

In addition to managing NCDs and the ageing population, the country’s health sector will face challenges related to environmental factors, particularly clean water access, air quality, food safety and the potential resurgence of climate change-related diseases, which will require interdisciplinary solutions, Ra said.