Residents of Sagaing City, one of the places worst hit by the 28 March 2025 earthquake are suffering from health issues due to the unsanitary conditions and heat.

Sagaing City was near the epicentre of the 28 March magnitude 7.7 earthquake and was one of the places worst affected.

People there are suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting, likely caused by unsafe water, and from heatstroke  as they have insufficient shelter from the heat of the sun after their houses collapsed during the earthquake. Children under five are especially vulnerable to these conditions, according to a healthcare worker in Sagaing City who requested anonymity.

She said to NMG: “Weeks after the earthquake, we started seeing more health problems. Some children came to the hospitals and clinics with vomiting. Others had diarrhoea because the water wasn’t clean. And since many people had to sleep out on the streets, some ended up with heatstroke from the intense heat.”

Vomiting has been the most common problem amongst children who have developed health problems, with the more severe having to be transferred from clinics and admitted to hospital.

Another healthcare worker who is volunteering at a clinic assisting earthquake victims said: “The most common problem we're seeing is vomiting. Some of the children were so sick they couldn't even take medicine because they were vomiting so much, and we had to give them saline drips. Recently, we had to send six children to the hospital in one night—all due to severe vomiting.”

Most of the private clinics and pharmacies in Sagaing Region remain closed after the earthquake, forcing patients to seek treatment at the few volunteer-run clinics that are still open and offering free care.

These clinics are providing care to patients from both the city and the surrounding areas, with an average of 50 to 60 children visiting each clinic daily.

Currently, electricity and water supply have not been restored in many parts of Sagaing City, which is creating further challenges to providing healthcare.

Now, weeks after the earthquake, health workers and civil society organisations involved in earthquake relief work are beginning to feel the strain. Despite this, the free clinics helping people in Sagaing City remain open.

Health experts have warned that there might be outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as diarrhoea, in earthquake affected areas.