Myanmar Health Cluster Bulletin January 2026

Highlights

• Health cluster partners reached 1.8M people with life-saving health services in Myanmar during 2025: more than double the number reached during 2024. An additional 355K people were provided with life-saving health services in areas affected by the earthquake that struck Sagaing on 28 March 2025.
• New Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) cases in Paletwa (Chin) and Rakhine, possibly linked to resurgence of confirmed cholera cases reported from crowded temporary settlements in India, close to the Myanmar border. Kaladan river runs from India into Myanmar, potentially spreading AWD/cholera to areas with no access to safe drinking water and open defecation. If root causes are not addressed, AWD/cholera will continue to occur in the area.
• Significant reduction in new signals detected from social media platforms due to restricted access resulting from increased conflict and tighter control because of the election with some partners suspending their health services.
• Severe stock-outs of medicines, including over-the-counter drugs, have been reported in local markets. Especially in Tanintharyi, supplies are extremely limited.
• Increase in Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) cases in Kayin as a result of overcrowding in IDP settlements.
• Alarming increase in preventable skin infections, particularly in Kayah, Tanintharyi, Rakhine and Magway, driven by overcrowding, inadequate hygiene, and worsening humanitarian conditions. Since 2024, skin infection outbreaks are frequently reported in conflict-affected areas. Most outbreaks involve scabies with secondary bacterial infections, including poststreptococcal acute glomerulonephritis (PSGN).
• Increase in malaria cases in southern Chin, exceeding alert threshold.