June 2nd, 2022
Due to the lack of access to the vaccines, stillbirths are reported among the pregnant mothers at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Pekon Township, according to the IDP.
An IDP from Warrisuply village said: “I have to send the pregnant mothers to the hospital. They did not get vaccinated. They could not deliver babies despite the rupture of membranes for three days. When they arrived at the hospital, the babies were dead.”
Most locals are hiding in the forests as fighting between the People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and the military council continues for more than one year in Karenni State and southern Shan State. The pregnant mothers have no access to the vaccines.
“I saw two stillbirths. Four or five pregnant mothers face difficulties during childbirth. They did not get vaccinated. They could not go to Pekon to get vaccinated. Some pregnant mothers did not go there as they did not get information about the vaccination. Some mothers hiding in the forests have no access to the vaccine,” she added.
Among the reasons for stillbirths are: the pregnant mothers with chronic diseases and the mother-to-child transmission (for instance-rubella). So, pregnant mothers need to get vaccinated.
The lack of pregnancy care, malnutrition and psychotic depression may lead to stillbirths and premature births, a doctor says.
Currently, the IDPs are in need of rations and waterproof sheets. Due to the seasonal changes, children get flu and have diarrhea. They don’t receive treatments due to a shortage of medicines, the IDPs say.
There are more than 4,500 IDPs from more than 1,000 households in Rilonerikan village-tract in Pekon Township.
Sent by Maw Oo Myar (Kantarawaddy Times)