Thai-Burma Border Towns Face Malaria Outbreaks

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BORDER

Thai-Burma border towns face malaria outbreaks

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

Towns on the Thai-Burmese border have become high-risk zones for malaria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday.

Malaria is one of the major public health problems in Burma with 40.6 million people out of 59 million at risk, Dr Leonard Ortega, medical officer of the WHO office in Burma, said.

Those most vulnerable are living in rural, forested and border areas where access to public healthcare services is very limited, he said.

Though malaria in Burma has slowly been declining over several years, there is still a very high number of cases in the border area, he said. Based on data collected in 2006, the WHO estimates as many as 8 million people a year get malaria, and some 9,000 people die" although only about 1,000 deaths are reported.

The WHO is working to help ease the situation in Burma, but faces a serious lack of resources, he said.

The global health organisation estimates Burma needs at least US$55.24 million (Bt1.63 billion) for malaria-control projects over the next two years, but WHO only has $38.34 million in hand, he said.

The organisation is working on a plan to control malaria outbreaks in Burma with the exception of Kayah State, which he said is far too difficult to access.

Another challenge is drug-resistant malarial mosquitoes, Dr Charles Delacollette, coordinator of WHO’s mekong Malaria Programme, said. He explained the anti-malaria treatment "the Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT)" is no longer effective in the mekong area as the deadly parasite has apparently adjusted its gene to resist the drug. This drug resistance is seen in the Thai-Cambodia and Thai-Burma borders.

WHO is working on a strategic plan to deal with drug-resistant malarial parasites in the Burmese border towns of Myawaddy, Thanbyuzayat and Kawthuong where evidence indicates serious problems. Meetings on the workplan would be held in Mandalay on December 7-9, in Rangoon on December 10 and in Kawthuong in January, he said.

International experts and donor agencies would participate in the meetings, he said, noting that donors had no problems with Burma’s political issues.

-- The Nation 2010-11-11

[MHM]

Any idea where on the Thai side? Kanchanaburi?

[a99az]

The WHO is working to help ease the situation in Burma, but faces a serious lack of resources.

Should add all the resources are used for the building of the new military city.

[heybruce]

The WHO is working to help ease the situation in Burma, but faces a serious lack of resources.

Should add all the resources are used for the building of the new military city.

Well they also had to conduct an obviously rigged election, line the pockets of those in power, brutally suppress any sign of resistance in minority areas, etc. But clearly in a nation rich in resources the well being of the people is of little or no concern to the military dictatorship.