March 2011

Dispute on Thai-Cambodia border could aid spread of drug-resistant malaria

Ongoing border disputes and increased engagement of the military along the Thai-Cambodian border threatens to disrupt efforts to contain drug-resistant malaria. First detected in 2009, drug-resistant parasites take twice as long to be cleared from an infected person and there are worries that military troops along the Thai-Cambodian border could limit the malaria program’s access to the disputed area for timely surveillance and case management activities. Efforts such as the World Health Organization’s Global Containment Plan are currently underway to prevent these drug-resistant parasites from spreading to other endemic areas.