At least 40 people, mostly children, have died of measles in a remote corner of Northwestern Myanmar in recent weeks. The outbreak in the Narga Self-Administered Zone [we are using the “Narga” spelling for this interview] has sparked an outpouring of nationwide sympathy and donation campaigns.
But news has been slow to trickle out because of the extreme remoteness of the area. A report in today’s issue of the state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar said doctors sent by the government to help tackle the crisis could not be reached, because they were out of cell service.
We spoke to Athong Makury, the chairman of the Council of Narga Affairs, which is coordinating donations to the region, to get a clearer picture of the situation.
How many people are known to have died from the outbreak so far?
Now, it has been confirmed that 41 people are dead. Most of them are less than 15 years old.
There have been reports on social media that aid is not getting to the village. What’s the problem?
Mainly, transportation is a big problem. In the past, the Narga region was neglected for a long time. According to the report by the previous government, they have spent K70 billion on [improving] transportation in Narga Land. Lahe [where the outbreak is] has worse transportation system than in Layshi [another town in Narga Land].
Is it possible to get there via helicopter?
No, there is no helicopter support. They [the military] claimed they can’t send because the weather is too bad. If we had helicopters, it would take less than 30 minutes to reach them, and we could load more stuff than on motorbikes.
What’s the government doing?
Now, government is helping us, they sent more doctors… But we can’t say it is under control. The government announced in the newspaper that they could control [the outbreak] on August 6. But it was not controllable as, on August 7, two more people were dead.
What can people do to help?
In Yangon, there are donation campaigns. People can join them or contact them.
To donate directly to the Council for Narga Affairs, email infoshanah@gmail.com or call +959253617418 or +959455166056.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
