School-age children, many of them displaced, in Sagaing Region’s Kani Township are suffering from skin infections and have no access to medicine or medical treatment, according to local sources.
The lesions, thought to be caused by contaminated water and poor hygiene, are being found in youngsters aged 5 to 15 years, both displaced and attending community-based schools. Many of the children are also suffering from fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.
“This skin disease has been reported in nine community-based schools in all grades from primary to secondary levels. The number varies from school to school. While some schools only have seen a few cases, others have reported as many as 40 to 50 cases,” said Ko Pyae Aung Naing, an anti-coup protest leader from Kani Township.
Displaced children also suffered from a similar skin disease in 2022, but the number is higher this year, he added.
Children in conflict zones have limited or no access to medicine or medical treatment. And with the military regime restricting deliveries of medicines to the area, the youngsters are currently being treated with herbal remedies.
“We did buy medicines, but junta soldiers seized them before they could be delivered. In rural communities, people usually apply charcoal to treat this particular skin condition. We also get folk medicines from nearby native healers,” said a resident.
Dr. Phoenix, who has experience in treating similar skin infections in Myaung Township, advises against using folk medicine to treat the lesions.
“They should not apply charcoal as it could cause lung problems. And you can never rinse bacteria off the leaves of herbs. So, if you grind leaves and apply them to the skin lesions, it can make it worse. What they really need is ointment and oral medicine, but if these are not available, I would suggest cleaning the lesions with warm water,” he said.
That option is not readily available either, as people in southern Kani are experiencing serious water shortages in the current hot season, forcing residents to rely on wells. Meanwhile, displaced people are having to make do with any water source they can find in the forest.
Kani has seen frequent clashes between junta troops and People’s Defense Forces. More than 1,500 houses have been destroyed in junta arson attacks since the coup.
Earlier this month, a large outbreak of similar skin problems was reported among displaced children in the east of Demoso Township in Kayah State, according to Job For Kayah, a local civil society organization helping displaced people.
