Malnutrition, medical shortages heighten anxiety of expectant mothers in Thandwe

By Admin 02 Dec 2024

DMG Newsroom
2 December 2024, Thandwe

Pregnant women displaced by fighting in Arakan State’s Thandwe Township have expressed concerns about giving birth and postpartum care due to shortages of medicines and the closure of hospitals and clinics.

Displaced pregnant women are not only unvaccinated or under-vaccinated, but also suffer from nutritional deficiencies due to financial hardships, causing widespread worry over the well-being of their children.

A sister of one pregnant woman said: “She is concerned about the health of the baby as she can’t afford to eat properly during pregnancy. She has been anxious about giving birth. She can’t even have proper food, let alone supplements. She can’t even take folic acid. It stresses me out whenever I think about how she will give birth.”

Meanwhile, some new mothers cannot produce breast milk to breastfeed their infants due to poor nutrition during pregnancy.

“Due to maternal malnutrition, some newborns are being fed rice instead of breast milk. The lack of food and medicines is seriously affecting the displaced pregnant women in their childbirth,” said U Phyo Maung Maung, a member of Lay Waddy, a community-based organisation helping displaced people in Thandwe.

Meanwhile, fatalities have been reported as a result of the shortage of medicines, the closure of healthcare facilities, and transportation difficulties, according to residents.

There are more than 30,000 displaced persons in Thandwe Township, including people who have fled fighting in Taungup and Gwa townships. Many are facing financial difficulties and related hardships due to receiving little to no humanitarian assistance.

“Due to the large number of displaced persons, the assistance provided is often insufficient,” said one man helping displaced people in Thandwe Township. “Sometimes, our own food supplies run out, and the aid stops.”

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting in Arakan State over the past year, with many women and children bearing the brunt of severe food and medicine shortages.