ASIA/MYANMAR - No medical care for: thirty thousand people with HIV/AIDS and over 3000 with tuberculosis

Monday, 3 March 2014

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - The government of the Union of Burma ordered the cessation of all activities of the Dutch section of the NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) underway in the Country despite the fact that tens of thousands of patients are currently receiving medical care. In a statement sent to Fides Agency, in recent days, clinics for HIV/AIDS in the states of Rakhine, Shan and Kachin, as well as in Yangon, were closed and patients could not receive the necessary treatment. Patients suffering from tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis, were therefore unable to receive their life-saving drugs.
The Government's decision will have a devastating impact on 30 000 patients with HIV/AIDS and for more than 3000 who are currently being treated for tuberculosis. In the state of Rakhine, MSF has not been able to provide basic medical care to the tens of thousands of vulnerable people displaced in the camps due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis or in isolated villages. The NGO is negotiating with the Government of Myanmar to allow the staff to re-start life-saving medical activities throughout the Country. Since 2004, MSF has treated more than 1,240,000 patients suffering from malaria in Rakhine state, where the disease is particularly endemic. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 03/03/2014)


Share: