The Karenni Midwives Society (KMS) reports that they are still unable to provide adequate healthcare and nutrition for pregnant women and children under 5 years old in Mawchi and Mese townships in Karenni State due to the region’s remoteness and poor accessibility.

“We will try our best to reach medical support in Mese and Mawchi. There are midwives available; however, there’s a lack of connectivity is poor and the routes are difficult to travel, making it extremely hard to reach these areas,” said Naw Lway Htoo.

The KMS is currently providing basic healthcare, including vaccinations and necessary nutritional and medical support, to pregnant women and children under five in Loikaw, De3 Maw Hso, Pruso, Moebye, and Pekon townships.

KMS was Founded in 2022, currently has over 100 ground-level healthcare workers and 28 clinics. The organization is seeking further support to sustain its operations and continue its healthcare services throughout the Karenni state.

“We are doing our work as much as we can. While we cannot provide full support to the healthcare workers, we deeply appreciate their efforts. We strive to assist the midwives as much as possible. However, we lack the necessary resources and connectivity. There are dedicated midwives working on the ground, some of whom are our members. Although some volunteer nurses are from other groups or organizations, all of them are part of KMS,” added Naw Lway Htoo.

In the first week of July, over 150 pregnant women in Dee Maw Hso, Pruso, and Pekon townships received support through a collaboration between the Karenni Interim Interim Council’s Women and Children’s Affairs Department and KMS.

In Karenni State, where nearly 300,000 people have been displaced due to conflict, pregnant women and children under five years old are in dire need of support from all areas.