Asia and Oceania

Public health facilities in Cambodia are very poor.  Private clinics and hospitals in Phnom Penh are often better equipped but are of variable quality and can be expensive.  The standards maintained by Cambodian emergency services are poor in comparison to the UK and evacuation is recommended for medical emergencies.  Hospitals are not recommended for anything but immediate stabilisation prior to an air medical evacuation or for minor medical concerns.

Local pharmacies provide a limited supply of medications, and some may sell counterfeit products.  You are advised to bring adequate supplies for the duration of your stay.

There are no proper mental health care facilities in Cambodia and professional treatment including medication, if available at all, is difficult and expensive to obtain.  Emergency mental health treatment is likely to require an air ambulance transfer to a country offering appropriate facilities.

The administrative processes for dealing with deaths in Cambodia is very different to that of the UK.  For more information, please visit the Consular pages of the British Embassy, Phnom Penh.

There has recently been a steady and prolonged increase in the number of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever cases in Cambodia, due to an earlier-than-usual start to the wet season, and there have been a number of deaths.  Dengue fever is transmitted by mosquitoes, which are present near standing water, and are active during the day. It is also prevalent in both rural and urban areas (including, in particular, Phnom Penh).  There is no vaccination against dengue fever, but there are preventive measures that you can take, as advised on the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website. 

Malaria is also present in rural areas of Cambodia.  If you are planning to travel outside the major towns, you should seek advice from your GP on the need for malaria prevention tablets and take other preventive measures, as advised on the NaTHNaC website.

In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 70,000 adults aged 15 or over in Cambodia were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 0.8% of the adult population. This compares to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to Cambodia and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date.  For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the National Travel Heath Network and Centre NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

 

For more general health information see Travel Health and for food/drink hygiene see Eat and Drink Safely.

There is human A (H1N1) influenza in Cambodia, and increased surveillance and control measures are in place.  Thermal scanning is in operation at Cambodian airports, and all travellers arriving on international flights are required to complete a questionnaire about their recent travel and medical history.  Passengers with a temperature of over 38°C, or who exhibit influenza symptoms, are being referred for further diagnosis.  Any person with suspected A (H1N1) could be kept isolated under medical supervision at their home or hotel in the first instance.  Those exhibiting serious symptoms or who are unable to be isolated elsewhere could be quarantined in a public hospital.