Among them is 32-year-old Mr. Meouy Buntear, who once battled frequent bouts of malaria himself, turned Mobile Malaria Worker (MMW), whose dedication has transformed his community in Ratanakiri Province.

Malaria has long threatened communities' health and livelihoods in the deep forests of Cambodia’s Ratanakiri Province. Veun Sai District is one of six administrative districts within the Banlung Health Operational District (OD) under Ratanakiri, which reports the highest number of malaria cases. 

O’Ambil, a small village in Koh Peak Commune, is home to over 400 people from the Kreung and Jarai ethnic minority communities. Villagers rely on farming and forest products for living, but these forests are also breeding grounds for malaria mosquitoes. For 32-year-old Mr. Meouy Buntear, this risk was all too familiar. He contracted malaria three times, the last time in 2014. He has been able to turn the difficult experience of having malaria into a positive, as he chose to serve in the voluntary role of an MMW. 

Having suffered from the disease three times, he understood firsthand the toll it took on his health, family, and livelihood. His motivation to protect his family and neighbors sparked his interest in joining the fight against malaria.

Recognizing the need for community-centered health services, Catholic Relief Services (CRS)  and the local health authorities encouraged community members, especially those with experience and strong local connections, to step forward as volunteers.

Mr. Buntear was selected by the local health officials and community leaders who saw his potential due to his resilience, knowledge of the area, and personal experience with malaria. With guidance from CRS, Mr. Buntear underwent comprehensive training, which included learning how to use rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria detection, understanding the distribution and use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), acquiring skills to educate villagers on malaria prevention behaviors. 

In 2020, he tested around 50 people monthly, detecting and treating five malaria cases that year. By 2021, cases in his area had dropped by 40%. Remarkably, no malaria cases have been reported in his area since 2022.

“I’m happy to see no malaria in my area now,” said Mr. Buntear. “This great result has many factors: first, forest workers take preventive medicine before they go into the forest. Secondly, people now have good malaria knowledge; they sleep under treated nets, and they visit the MMW when they suspect that they may have malaria. Thirdly, there is the active role of the MMW in malaria testing, as well as providing education, which helps with early diagnosis, timely treatment and reduced transmission.

One of Mr. Buntear’s success stories is that of 22-year-old Mr. Kaveb Meourb, a cashew farmer who lives deep in the forest. When Mr. Meourb fell ill, Mr. Buntear tested him and found he had Plasmodium vivax (Pv) malaria. He referred him for a G6PD blood test and radical cure at the health center and followed up for any danger signs throughout his treatment. Now cured, Mr. Meourb has become an advocate for malaria prevention, sharing his experience with neighbors to encourage testing and treatment.

“I’m more careful now,” said Mr. Meourb. “I sleep under a treated bed net and use mosquito spray. I also shared my Pv radical cure treatment experience with my neighbor, whose daughter was suspected of malaria. He took my advice and brought his daughter for a malaria test. Malaria affects our health, so I genuinely want all Pv patients to seek blood tests and receive the Pv radical cure, as I did.”