Tuberculosis in Cambodia (23 images)

As civil war and genocide go the way of history in Cambodia, a new war in the troubled nation is being fought today; one against Tuberculosis, a very real and deadly foe.

Cambodia is one of the world's hardest hit countries by TB, with over 65,000 new cases every year and one of every 215 people diagnosed as infected, it truly is of epidemic proportions.

While TB is a curable disease the fight is not simple or easy. The treatment is long and physically exhausting....
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As civil war and genocide go the way of history in Cambodia, a new war in the troubled nation is being fought today; one against Tuberculosis, a very real and deadly foe.

Cambodia is one of the world's hardest hit countries by TB, with over 65,000 new cases every year and one of every 215 people diagnosed as infected, it truly is of epidemic proportions.

While TB is a curable disease the fight is not simple or easy. The treatment is long and physically exhausting. Many will stop midway their treatment period due to the discomfort or lack of access to meds, raising the stakes that they will develop an extremely dangerous strain of TB, MDR TB (multi-drug resistant tb) and effect others with the mutated strain.

The hardest hit are the nation's poorest and most disadvantaged. They suffer from a deadly trifecta of overcrowded living conditions, malnutrition, and limited access to health care.

The health care system in Cambodia lacks many basic resources and is over stretched, unable to meet the demands of the population. While health care is supplied free of charge to the poor, most can not even afford the hard cost of getting themselves to a clinic or hospital for treatment.

Community outreach is proving itself to be one of the strongest weapons in the battle. NGO's such as Operation Asha use community based approaches to provide the needed help. The Indian based NGO employs members of the communities they serve, training them and sending them into the field to track down TB victims and provide treatment. Taking the DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Short-course) system to another level, the organization goes to the frontline of the battle in the most impoverished neighborhoods to track the victims, provide them with the treatment, oversee their regimen, and educate the community.
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