Patients wait for medical consultations and treatment at the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital. Yousos Apdoulrashim
Cambodia is witnessing a continued upward trend of non-communicable diseases, with over 230,000 new cases of diabetes diagnosed in 2024, marking an increase of more than 59 per cent.
Last year, more than 30,000 patients received cancer treatment in Cambodia.
According to the Ministry of Health, in 2024, there were 230,279 cases of diabetes, with 17,534 of them hospitalised, an increase of 43.25 per cent over 2023.
There were 31,518 cancer patients, an increase of 87.42 per cent, and 127 deaths were reported. The most common cancer types were breast cancer, accounting for 20.4 per cent of all cases, and oral cancer, at over 11 per cent.
Cases of mental health illnesses reached 282,615 cases; nearly doubling (197.82 per cent) compared to the previous year, with 8,792 hospitalised patients, an increase of 28.52 per cent.
In addition, other non-communicable diseases are also on the rise, such as hypertension, with over 400,000 cases (401,936), increasing by 21.44 per cent, and over 30,000 patients (34,792) seeking treatment, an increase of 29.53 per cent.
Health minister Chheang Ra stated during a press conference on March 3 that the increase in the number of people seeking treatment for non-communicable diseases is due to growing awareness among the population about these diseases, improved economic conditions and greater trust in government-provided healthcare services.
“Non-communicable diseases arise when the living conditions of the people improve, and we see this happening in all countries that undergo such development. Therefore, the rise in non-communicable diseases is a reality that requires services to be more detailed and demands complex, longer treatment periods,” he explained.
Nut Sambath, head of the Institute of Medical, Biological and Agricultural Sciences of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, noted that non-communicable diseases are rising globally due to industrial development.
Industrial progress has led to a reduction in physical activity, an increase in fast food consumption and more sugary beverages.
At the same time, advancements in science have also led to an increase in mental health issues, especially during economic hardships such as financial stress, which has contributed to the rise in non-communicable diseases, he added.
