In a year since the establishment of the Karenni State Interim Executive Council (IEC), more than 50,000 people and resistance fighters have been able to access medical treatment and healthcare support, Khu Oo Reh, chairman of IEC stated in his first anniversary speech. IEC, which has become a main driving force in the anti-Junta resistance in Karenni State, was founded on June 6, 2023.

"With the establishment of IEC's health department, we collaborated with healthcare support entities in Karenni State. This allowed us not only to offer basic healthcare

services but also to implement treatment and disease prevention initiatives. In just a year, we opened over 60 clinics and a public hospital, delivering healthcare support to a total of more than 50000 people and resistance fighters”, Khu Oo Reh said.

IEC's health department aims to enhance healthcare support for people in rural areas by emphasizing the opening of rural clinics and expanding mobile healthcare teams.

Other organizations that have not yet made their decision to join IEC's health department will be approached for further negotiations, department head Philip said.

" We plan to coordinate with those clinics and hospitals to provide more comprehensive healthcare services to the public. We have drafted a new Karenni State health policy, and as the next step, we will conduct surveys to gather public opinions and voices”, he added.

He mentioned that the most commonly treated conditions by IEC's health department were seasonal diseases.

"Common diseases vary by season and location. For instance, skin-related conditions are prevalent in the dry summer, while the rainy season sees more cases of runny nose, cough, and respiratory illnesses. Malaria cases have been reported”, Philip said.

IEC has also administered vaccines to a total of 7,000 children across areas in Karenni State, done in two batches.