Issue, 29, Arsenic and Health, published on December 2006.

Arsenic and Health

Arsenic is a chemical element found in groundwater in some Asian countries. As for Cambodia arsenic was found in 2001 in some provinces situated along the Mekong River.

Drinking water with a high concentration of arsenic can cause serious health problems to human organs such as diseases of the lung, kidney, blood vessel, nervous system (brain), liver and skin lesions. These health problems can also cause cancer if people continue to drink the water for long periods.

Arsenicosis cases were first discovered in Cambodia in August 2006 in Prek Reussey village, Kampongkong commune, Koh Thom district, Kandal province by Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) and Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with and supported by WHO and UNICEF.

Since the discovery of arsenicosis cases, the MRD, chief of AISC (Arsenic Inter-ministerial Sub-Committee) has prepared a National Strategic Plan for Arsenic Mitigation to ensure that people living in high risk areas have knowledge about the health affects caused by drinking arsenic-contaminated water and have access to alternative safe water sources and to diagnosis and treatment from the MoH physicians.

Through the funding support of UNICEF, the MRD has co-operated with Health Messenger to produce this issue in order to disseminate more information on arsenic to rural Cambodians and concerned institutions.