Malaria and diarrhoea hit cyclone survivors

Reports of malaria and diarrhoea surfacing in areas of Myanmar in Burma are worrying health experts.

UN health officials have indicated that 20 per cent of children in the areas hardest hit by the recent cyclone are suffering from diarrhoea, reports Associated Press.

Malaria kills 3,000 people annually in Burma and tuberculosis, Aids and diarrhoea account for tens of thousands of deaths each year in the country.

Osamu Kunii, Unicef's chief of health in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, told the news agency that the conditions could get worse and water purification tablets are "unlikely to help the situation" because much of the water supply due to the contamination by saltwater.

"Most of the area is covered by dirty water. People have very poor access, sometimes no access, to clean drinking water or food," said Mr Kunii.

Unicef has requested an initial $8.2 million (£4.2 million) for its emergency operation to assist people in Myanmar. There are an estimated one million homeless people across the region's five states and it claims displaced people are lacking drinking water, food and latrines.

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