Burma: Closing its Doors on Health Care

Burma, also known as Myanmar, has been a main topic of controversy in the news. The country is in turmoil, fueled by an oppressive military junta and civilian demonstrators, due to the junta's unwillingness to loosen the dictatorial grip on the country's political, economic, and social structure. Because of this, many of the inhabitants have begun to protest, however, with very little progress as the junta counters by military force. According to BBC news, many are arrested and killed through the use of baton charges and tear gas.

Though it is distressing to see this kind of violence, what is also occurring is a health care crisis within the country that should be addressed immediately. Even before the start of the rebellion, the Burmese health system has been anything but adequate. To confirm this fact, “the World Health Report 2000, graded Myanmar 190th in overall health system performance of 191 countries." What places Myanmar as the world’s second worst health system is negligence from the military government to implement health regulations and build public clinics. The regime is too occupied with maintaining its authoritarian power through military spending (as seen to the left), thereby disregarding the severity of the health dilemma. A statement from the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) noted, “The regime has more than doubled the size of the military and slashed its spending on health care to less than $1 per person per year." This leaves many Burmese vulnerable to illnesses and diseases. State-run medical facilities are unequipped to provide clinical assistance to the poorer provinces. Given the lack of treatments, “almost 90 of Burma’s 52 million population[s] are at risk of malaria, and […] with nearly 9, 700 [tuberculosis] cases detected every year. […] A third of children are chronically malnourished, 15 of the population is food insecure, and the under-5 mortality rate is 106 per 1000.” If the government does not take notice of this crucial matter soon, maintaining power would not be the only predicament that it will face in the future.

The government’s lack of initative to spend on health care has caught the attention of many humanitarian organizations. Agencies, like the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Doctors Without Borders, have sent up medical supplies and clinical institutions to aid the people. However, the junta, in fear of dissent to overthrow the government, has imposed limitations on the travel of aid and health volunteers. This only resulted in “many international medical charities […] winding up their operations in Burma, […] citing government restrictions on [their] movement made functioning nearly impossible.” As more civil society organizations leave the country, the public is left to fend for themselves; some are even willing to flee the country to find medical relief, dangerously crossing the border into countries such as Thailand and Cambodia. There are a few who do receive clinical services, but “many patients come too late and died in the clinic (as pictured to the right), while newborn babies and the elderly are sometimes abandoned by family who simply cannot afford to care for them [during the journey]” states Dr. Cynthia Maung of Mae Tao Clinic. Children and elders, the ones who suffer the most, cannot handle the physical demands that the journey entails and are left behind to wait for death.

The core issue in Myanmar is a violation of human rights. The military leaders continue to ignore and neglect the wellvbeing of its citizens, with many waiting for death because of inadequate health treatments. Given the junta’s hunger for power and control, most of the country’s expenditure is focused on building up an army rather than health services. As the military government becomes more power hungry and insecure, the rights and lives of these citizens are pushed aside. These people are entitled to medical care; it is the government’s obligation to take care of its citizens and their health should be the first priority. This injustice should be stopped and the only possible way is that other powerful states in the international community should intervene. However, many states are reluctant to intervene due to the bylaws of the state sovereignty. Still, we must consider that this is not a matter of people just being arrested, but people are dying and suffering from a lack of medical treatments. Should we stand by and allow this atrocity to continue?