USAID Cuts Cause Antimalarial Drug Shortage in Tanintharyi Region

District health officer Padoh Naw El Sel Toe said to KIC: “There is currently a shortage of antimalarial drugs and medical equipment in Myeik and Dawei districts. Since USAID funding ended, the supply of antimalarial drugs has been cut off. The situation is challenging, and we are exploring alternative solutions.

She explained that in Myeik and Dawei districts respiratory diseases are prevalent during the hot, dry season which is just starting, whilst malaria, the second most common seasonal illness in the districts, spreads widely during the wet season that follows the hot season.

Antimalarial drugs and medical equipment paid for by USAID, such as test kits, were previously distributed to Myeik and Dawei districts by the Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW) every three months.

Sufficient kits and medical equipment to last until the end of February 2025 had already been delivered to Myeik and Dawei districts. Efforts are currently underway to secure supplies for the next three months, according to Padoh Diamond Khin, a KDHW official.

He said: “We’ve already delivered the batch of antimalarial drugs that covered until February 2025 to Myeik and Dawei districts. We’re now working on securing sending [enough] for the next three months and plan to deliver the next batch of antimalarial drugs along with vaccines for children to the districts.”

Currently only antimalarial drugs are in short supply in Myeik and Dawei districts. There are no shortages of any other type of drugs, according to the district healthcare department.