Dengue fever, seasonal flu taking toll among children in Arakan State

By Admin 18 Jul 2023

DMG Newsroom
July 18 2023, Sittwe

Increased incidence of illness among children under 15, with resultant fatalities, has been reported in some Arakan State townships during the current monsoon season, according to health workers and locals.

Six children — three in Ponnagyun Township, and one each in Maungdaw, Myebon and Taungup townships — have died of dengue fever, malaria and/or seasonal flu so far this month.

A 9-year-old primary school student from Ganantaung Village in Ponnagyun Township died on July 15, according to relatives.

“The doctor said she died of dengue. Her sister is also sick and in hospital, so all the family members are staying at the hospital,” U Kyaw Htay, a relative of the girl, told DMG.

Many people in Ganantaung Village have fallen ill, prompting the health department to come and spray mosquito repellent, he added.

A 2-year-old girl from Ahtet Myat Hle displacement camp in Ponnagyun Township and a 9-year-old girl from Thae Taw Village also died on July 14 after getting sick, according to locals.

A 9-year-old boy in Wetkyein Village, northern Maungdaw Township, died on July 9, according to family members.

“He was sick for some three days,” said the boy’s mother, Daw Eain Gu. “So, I took him to the cottage hospital in Kyein Chaung. The doctor said he needed to be sent to Maungdaw Hospital. I didn’t think that his condition was that bad. So, I took him back home, thinking I could send him to Maungdaw Hospital the next day. His condition got worse after we got back home, and he died.”

The Health Department has come and vaccinated children against malaria and dengue fever, said residents.

A 5-year-old girl from Nyaungtaw Village in Myebon Township also died of seasonal flu on July 7. In another case, a 13-year-old student from Phaung Khar Village in Taungup Township died on July 10 while receiving treatment for dengue fever.

“In some cases, people got sick and lost consciousness, and died shortly after,” said U Zan Aung Myint of the Shwe Yaung Metta Foundation.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha, many drains were clogged and debris was not properly cleared, leading to an outbreak of waterborne diseases, according to medical superintendent Dr. Aung Sitt Tun of Ponnagyun Township Hospital.

“Compared with previous years, we have received more patients this year, mainly because of seasonal flu and dengue fever,” he added. “Dengue fever is usually common in children under 15 years, but older people are also suffering from dengue fever this year.”