Sittwe resident dies of hepatitis A amid junta's blockades

By Admin 08 Sep 2025

DMG Newsroom

8 September 2025, Sittwe

A 29-year-old man in Sittwe, Arakan State, has died from Hepatitis A, according to family members and sources close to him.

The deceased, from Danyawaddy Ward in Sittwe, passed away on September 6 after his condition worsened while under medical treatment.

"At first he just had a fever. For about three days he was unconscious, and within a week he passed away. The doctor said it was Hepatitis A. The doctors also said that even if he was transferred to Yangon, he would not survive because his liver and kidneys had already failed," a relative told DMG.

Hepatitis A is caused by the hepatitis A virus, which is highly contagious and can spread quickly in the form of an epidemic, according to the junta-controlled Ministry of Health.

Transmission occurs through consuming food and water contaminated with fecal matter from infected persons, or through close contact and caregiving, according to the ministry's statement.

Family sources said the deceased man contracted the disease from his younger brother, who first fell ill in August.

"Because he was an emergency case, the airline refused to take him to Yangon. It first started with his younger brother, then spread to him. Now his brother has recovered, but he did not," the source explained.

Since November 2023, when renewed fighting broke out in Arakan, the junta has cut off road and water transport routes into the state. Many residents of Sittwe remain trapped in the city as a result.

In August, the regime further restricted cargo transport on Yangon-Sittwe passenger flights, worsening shortages.

These restrictions have left residents struggling to access healthcare and facing severe shortages of medicines.

"At present, flights only run every three days, with restrictions on carrying medicines. Apart from medicines, no other goods are allowed on planes. Now seasonal flu is also spreading, and with medicines in short supply, people are suffering terribly. We cannot even get basic medicines," said a Sittwe woman.

Health experts warn that Hepatitis A particularly affects children, and in severe cases, sudden liver failure can cause death. Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine, pale stools, and joint pain.

In February this year, at least 13 cases of Hepatitis A were also reported in Kyauktaw Township, Arakan State.

The tragedy in Sittwe highlights how the junta's deliberate restrictions on medicine, travel, and emergency health transfers are worsening preventable deaths. What should have been a treatable case became fatal under a system designed to deny basic healthcare to civilians.