Lelthit 3 Village, an earthquake affected village close to Inle Lake in Nyaungshwe Township, southern Shan State, is facing an increasing number of diarrhoea cases.
The powerful 7.7-magnitude 28 March 2025 earthquake with its epicentre close to Mandalay City also hit the Inle Lake area hard. It destroyed many houses and caused a widespread shortage of toilets.
The shortage of toilets has led to a widespread outbreak of diarrhoea, especially in Lelthit 3 Village which is facing a mass outbreak of diarrhoea.
Doctors and medical supplies are urgently needed to respond to the situation, according to aid workers helping earthquake affected communities in the area.
An aid worker from Nyaungshwe Town, currently in the Inle Lake area, said that around 60 people in Lelthit 3 Village are suffering from diarrhoea. Entire families have been affected and the villagers are requesting urgent medical assistance.
He said to Shan Herald on 7 May: “The number of people infected has now risen to over 50, almost reaching 60, and the villagers are worried the whole village will get infected. That’s why they’re asking for urgent medical help, to arrive as soon as possible.”
Explaining further the problems faced by the villagers in Lelthit 3 Village, he said: “There was a brief rain the other day, but it's been hot again since then. Right now, we're facing problems with storing food for long, and there aren’t enough fly-proof toilets. These issues have led to the diarrhoea outbreak. As for drinking water, we've already planned to buy filtering tanks.”
He also pointed out that with around 60 people already infected in Lelthit 3, the risk of the diarrhoea spreading to the entire village is becoming increasingly likely.
Currently there is only one doctor in the village and the number of diarrhoea cases is increasing. Because of this there is a shortage of essential medicines and rehydration salts which makes treating diarrhoea sufferers even more challenging.
Although local communities in the Inle Lake area have started reconstruction efforts with the assistance of relief groups, the area has been so badly impacted by the earthquake that a significant amount of assistance is still needed.
