Coronavirus: in Myanmar, the poor fight pandemic with little help from government
- Myanmar, a country of about 54 million people, has one of the lowest reported infection rates in Southeast Asia. Lack of testing may be a factor
- Government has imposed some measures to contain coronavirus but it does not have the kind of health care infrastructure it would need if disease spread
They built bamboo tents to serve as quarantine centres, banned non-essential movement in and out, and put townsmen on guard at the main entry in rotating three-man shifts.
The small community of about 200 households had no choice but to defend itself. It has little contact from the government, according to Kyaw San Win, a 40-year-old community leader, and no access to modern health care facilities or state funding for medical supplies and equipment.
“We decided to stand on our own feet to fight against this pandemic,” he said. “We don’t rely on public health services.”
The situation at Ngwetha Ywar Thit is playing out across the country as people take matters into their own hands in protecting themselves against the coronavirus. The Southeast Asian state, which was ruled for decades by a military junta, lacks the kind of health care infrastructure it would need if the disease spread widely.