The path to zero: Cambodia’s village and mobile malaria workers have driven the country towards malaria elimination

Authors: Ly Po, Rekol Huy, Virak Khieu, Sovannaroth Siv, Mao Sokny, Thoang Sokha, Elisabeth G Chestnutt, Mousumi Rahman, Lieven Vernaeve

Mobile malaria workers and village malaria workers deliver essential malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment services to Cambodia’s hard-to-reach and high-risk communities, making them integral to achieving the country’s goal of malaria elimination by 2025.

For over 25 years, Cambodia’s village malaria workers (VMWs) and mobile malaria workers (MMWs) have been central to community-level malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment in remote areas. Working within their villages or travelling to hard-to-reach locations, they have led active case detection, net distribution and the delivery of free, quality-assured care. Their flexibility has enabled rapid responses to emerging malaria hotspots. Now that malaria is limited to a few pockets, Cambodia aims for national elimination by 2025 and World Health Organization (WHO) certification within three years. The success of VMWs and MMWs offers valuable lessons for other countries seeking to strengthen community-based health systems and ensure equitable access to care.

This poster was presented at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, held on 9-13 November in Toronto, Canada.