Myanmar, already a victim to poor health service, added on by fake drugs marketing, is falling obvious prey to new, drug-resistant killer diseases – like malaria and tuberculosis.
Malaria kills more than a million people a year, most being children in sub-Saharan Africa. The most effective drug — artemisinin – against malaria is now in stake. It is said that if it is taken incorrectly or the in doses including fake pills may easily allow the malaria-causing mosquito-borne parasite to build up immunity.
The Thai health officials have never been surprised with such a future health crisis, as it is a obvious commonplace for a region like Myanmar, where health spending is only a few dollars a year for each of the country’s 53 million people!
Thailand is the next threatened region being at immediate vicinity beyond Myanmar’s borders. To add to the vulnerability, it is a home to a large migrant and refugee population from the military-ruled former Burma.
The long-term implications of ‘neglect’ could easily and strongly be felt right across the globe.