Higher risk of COVID-19 infection among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Myanmar under the military coup

ABSTRACT

Access to healthcare has been difficult for over a thousand internally displaced people (IPDs) living in camps even before the COVID-19 pandemic surge in Myanmar. Amidst the pandemic crisis, the coup d'etat state power on February 1, 2021, and arbitrary detained all elected officials. Subsequently, over a hundred thousand civilians were displaced from their homes due to the intensified conflict between the military, ethnic armed groups, and people's defence force (PDF). The military attacks on IDP camps, deliberately blockings all humanitarian aid to IDPs, including medical packages and food pack supplies more vulnerable to contracting an infection. Many of IDPs suffer from infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Some tested COVID-19 positive due to their precarious living conditions, lack of protective resources supplies and lack of access to healthcare. Urgent international community response is needed to halt the military inhumanity action against the people of Myanmar to curb the pandemic outbreak among the IDPs in Myanmar. Access to primary healthcare services is a fundamental human right. No one should be ignored in vaccination in the fight against the global health pandemic because no one will be safe until everyone is safe.

KEYWORD:

• COVID-19
• Myanmar military coup
• internal displaced person (IDPs)
• vaccination
• access to healthcare service

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).