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“Forgiveness and compassion are the greatest human virtues. If we don’t help these people with malaria, we cease to be humans.”Mr Yeang Chheang, winner of the Unsung Hero Award
Mr Yeang Chheang, 85, dedicated his life implementing malaria programmes across his native Cambodia—including through many near impossible challenges. For these efforts and more, he earned the ‘Unsung Hero Award’ at the 2023 Reaching the Last Mile Forum, hosted at COP28 to an audience of global leaders.
Mr Yeang Chheang and his daughter on stage of the Reaching the Last Mile Forum at COP28 UAE
“Among the innumerable heroes in the fight against malaria, Mr Yeang Chheang is a leading light. Progress today is built upon such tireless dedication and commitment even in the face of challenges which are difficult to comprehend: war, political instability, and the emergence of drug resistant malaria. Indeed, Mr Yeang Chheang demonstrates compassion in action and is a source of inspiration for all engaged in the malaria fight and the struggle for health equity.”Dr Sarthak Das, CEO, APLMA
Mr Yeang Chheang began his work in public health after completing his training at the Institute de Biologie de Phnom Penh in 1954. He became accustomed to working in the field directly with communities to fight malaria in Sihanoukville, Snoul and Pailin. By 1975, Mr Yeang Chheang became chief of the National Malaria Programme’s Technical Bureau. However, that same year, the Khmer Rouge came to power.
Mr Yeang Chheang helped re-establish the National Malaria Programme with just 12 staff and initial funding from the World Health Organization.
Mr Yeang Chheang in the field. Source: The RBM Partnership
With a health system in shambles, a shortage of staff and funds, as well as citizens moving to more malaria-endemic provinces, malaria continued its devastating toll on Cambodians through the 1980s and into the early 1990s. Fortunately, the tide was turning against malaria, and Mr Yeang Chheang was at the helm. After becoming Deputy Director of the National Malaria Control Program, Mr Yeang Chheang oversaw the first insecticide-treated bed net programme in Cambodia. These bed nets would become one of the most important innovations in reducing malaria incidence and mortality.
“Mr Yeang Chheang has devoted his life to the people of Cambodia and their struggles against malaria and vector-borne diseases. Now, 70 years after he helped initiate the programme, and enduring 20 years of war and genocide, malaria in Cambodia is about to be eliminated.”Dr Michael MacDonald, scientist and global malaria expert
In 1992, there were an estimated 500,000 malaria cases and 5-10,000 malaria deaths. By 2002, there were 110,762 malaria cases and under 500 deaths. Despite another resurgence of malaria in the 2010s due to artemisinin-resistant malaria, the WHO estimates there were 4,047 malaria cases in Cambodia in 2022—a 99% reduction in thirty years. Furthermore, no one in Cambodia has died from malaria since 2018.
Cambodia’s path towards malaria elimination has not been smooth, but the dedicated efforts of heroes like Mr Yeang Chheang has ensured a resilient national malaria programme with impressive gains against the disease. With an excellent foundation and continued commitment from senior leaders in Cambodia, the nation is on track to eliminating malaria entirely by 2025.
Through all these many challenges and successes, Mr Yeang Chheang played an active role. Even into his 70s, Mr Yeang Chheang worked as a malaria team leader for the WHO, visiting remote malaria-endemic villages in Cambodia to implement malaria screening and treatment. It is for this dedication that Mr Yeang Chheang will be remembered as a malaria hero.
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