by Hafizur Rahman
Maungdaw, Arakan, September 4, 2025, A severe flu outbreak that began in Htanpyin village in northern Maungdaw has now spread across almost the entire township, leaving many residents sick and claiming the lives of children due to shortages of medicine and lack of proper treatment.
Rapid Spread Since August
Residents said the illness first appeared in early August, with one or two people falling sick in Htanpyin village. Within weeks, nearly the whole village was affected, and the outbreak spread to surrounding areas. Today, villages across Maungdaw report high numbers of patients suffering from fever, chills, and body pain. Locals fear the flu could claim more lives as it continues to spread unchecked.
Medicine Shortages and Deaths
Due to the ongoing conflict between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA), essential medicines are not reaching the affected villages. Families say children have already died because they could not receive proper treatment. “We are watching our children suffer, and we have no medicine to save them,” one villager said.
Doctors warn that the illness could be a mutated form of COVID-19, given the speed of its transmission and the number of patients affected at the same time.
Restrictions Blocking Aid
Residents explained that since most villages in northern Maungdaw are under AA control, Myanmar authorities and international health teams are not being allowed to enter. As a result, patients cannot access timely medical support. Locals also noted that alongside the flu, other diseases are spreading, increasing the death toll.
Seasonal Threats and Worsening Crisis
Health workers stressed that flu is more dangerous than a common cold and can affect people of all ages. It tends to spread widely during rainy and winter seasons, passing easily through coughing, sneezing, breathing, or contact with saliva and mucus.
Other seasonal diseases, including dengue fever and malaria, have recently appeared in Pon Nar Kyun, Kyauk Taw, Pauktaw, and Ramree. Those outbreaks were managed with timely treatment, but in Maungdaw the restrictions and lack of access under AA control have left communities facing a worsening health crisis.
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