Last Friday, Myanmar was hit by a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake. An estimated 3,000 people have died, with more than 4,500 people injured in the disaster.
In times of crisis, women and girls face higher risks of sexual violence and displacement. Their need for reproductive healthcare increases, just as services fall.
MSI Myanmar is working through the crisis to offer free sexual and reproductive healthcare and other life-saving services. MSI has two clinics running in the affected region, and a mobile healthcare team providing services in the hardest hit areas near Mandalay. Alongside healthcare, our teams are distributing menstrual hygiene and sanitation products for women, and essential items for families who have faced displacement and devastation.
One of our providers in Myanmar, Mi Mi, explains what the team are facing and how they are responding:
“Our teams in Myanmar are grappling with the seismic impact of the earthquake. Some team members have lost their homes, others have lost their loved ones. But we’re persevering through the crisis to offer support and healthcare to women and girls affected.
“During disasters like these, the reproductive health and rights of women are often neglected, so we’re doing all we can to protect access to healthcare right now, providing free contraception services and other life-saving services on-the-ground, through our clinics. We know that when facing upheaval, women and girls want the power to avoid unintended pregnancy. We’ve been supporting women and girls in Myanmar with that power for decades, and we have no intention of stopping now, just as it’s needed most.”
Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar has faced violence, conflict and a collapsing healthcare system. The earthquake has made it even harder to access life-saving healthcare.
Our teams are working hard to provide urgent healthcare through the crisis and reach those who need us, but they will need partnership and support to keep going.
Please consider donating or getting in touch with MSI to find out how we could partner.
