Ministry of Health secretary of state Or Vandine on March 18 reiterated a call for concerted efforts to improve Cambodia’s overall capacity to diagnose cancer, as well as treat and care for patients.

The call came during a March 18 workshop encouraging local dialogue concerning cancer prevention and treatment, co-organised by Calmette Hospital and the UK-based eCancer in Phnom Penh, the ministry said in a statement.

Conceptualised in conformity with the second National Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) 2022-2030, the workshop was presided over by Vandine, and attended by around 200 people, including Calmette deputy head Koy Vanny, health officials, and oncology experts and students, the statement noted.

The ministry called on relevant parties to make NCDs a priority and reduce the burden of preventable diseases, acknowledging that it alone cannot effectively address the occurrence of NCDs, the statement added.

“To this end, the Ministry of Health has set many priorities to combat NCDs, trained human resources, and continued to develop the capacity and qualifications of doctors to treat and care [for patients], as well as had modern medical equipment installed for research, diagnosis and treatment,” it said.