Diarrhea and flu outbreaks have been reported since the last week of October in schools run by an education network affiliated with the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) in Sagaing Region’s Myaung Township.
“The outbreaks occurred in schools, not in villages,” said Ko Nway Oo of the anti-regime Civil Defense Security Organization Myaung (CDSOM). “We needed to provide emergency treatment to two high schools and one primary school, and we’re preparing to provide emergency treatment to a lower secondary school.”
The organization has treated 534 students and teachers in the three schools, while the lower secondary school has another 100 students, he said.
Volunteers blamed last month’s floods that contaminated drinking water sources and left stagnant ponds in villages, creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
The Myaung Township Education Network is short of funds to buy medicines, according to a health worker.
“Just one worm treatment tablet costs 700 kyats,” he said. “So we have financial constraints to supply medicines to several hundreds of children. It’s an emergency, but we can’t get the medicines right away.”
“Many children are sick and schools will have to close if treatment is delayed, so it’s a race against time,” he added.
Children from around seven villages attend schools run by the network, and some come from neighboring Yesagyo Township in Magwe Region, according to Ko Nway Oo.
He declined to reveal the locations of the schools because the regime previously bombed a school in Minhla village in Myaung township, but added they asked the network for help.
Though no casualties have not been reported in schools in Myaung, three children recently died of diarrhea in a village in Yesagyo Township.
