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Why the Karen?
For people living in the jungles of Myanmar, quality healthcare can be the difference between life or death
Karen women picking rocks to build the Rain Tree Clinic which provides healthcare for their community
The Karen are an ethnic people group concentrated in the eastern mountainous region of Myanmar and western Thailand
Centuries old, they make up more than 5 million people. Community-oriented, generous, and innovative, they form tight-knit communities woven together by loyal companionship and characterized by joy and warmth.
Most Karen people scratch out a living as subsistence farmers in the mountainous jungle, where there are very few resources leftover for education or healthcare.
In spite of this, the Karen are strong in spirit, committed to their culture and community, and desire to better the lives of their people.
A mother with her child in the waiting room at the T-RAD Clinic
721 women out of 100,000 will not see their newborn grow up
721 women dying per 100,000 live births
(Karen State)14 women dying per 100,000 live births
(USA)6 women dying per 100,000 live births
(Australia)
Karen kids posing for the camera in their remote village, Myanmar
138 children out of 1,000 will not live past their 5th birthday
138 children dying per 1,000 live births
between 0 and 5 (Karen State)6.6 children dying per 1,000 live births
between 0 and 5 (USA)3.5 children dying per 1,000 live births
between 0 and 5 (Australia)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The main healthcare problems impacting the Karen everyday
High Mortality Rates for Mothers and Children
The Karen have some of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates (MMR) and under-5 child mortality rates (U5M). For mothers, a lack of public health and access to healthcare can have deadly consequences. For children, 60% of deaths under the age of 5 are from preventable and treatable diseases.
Limited Resource and Infrastructure
It is common for remote clinics to lack enough medicine and supplies can be difficult to obtain. Ordinarily built with rudimentary material, clinics often face a lack of power and medical equipment needed to provide quality healthcare.
Few Highly-Trained Medical Providers
In Myanmar, people from remote areas usually do not have the opportunity for higher education and doctors from the city usually do not know how to work with people from villages. Not only do you need to take care of people’s health, but you also need to understand the local culture and traditions.
Limited Access to Healthcare
Clinics are typically located hours/days away from villages by foot. Roads are bad or nonexistent, and even more so during rainy season. Imagine having to carry someone for hours in a hammock under torrential rain while walking in the mud.
