In the wake of Cyclone Nargis, which devastated the Burma (Myanmar) delta in early May, health conditions have worsened in the region already ranked second-worst in the world by the WHO for its health system. Although the country’s ruling junta has insisted that health conditions are normal in the Irrawaddy delta hit by the storm more than three weeks ago, relief groups have reported finding survivors dying from dysentery, pneumonia, malaria, cholera and diarrhea.

University of California (UC), Berkeley School of Public Health Adjunct Professor Dr. Eric Stover was the lead author of a report published last year documenting how decades of repressive rule, civil war, and poor governance in the Southeast Asian country have contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other infectious diseases there. He traveled to the delta immediately following the natural disaster, and even slipped past military checkpoints on two occasions in order to get a first-hand look at the conditions.

"The rain is a real problem," Dr. Stover told The Associated Press following his visit, "The water is rising up, and the latrines are just outside flowing into the water, and there’s livestock around. That’s the perfect breeding ground for diarrhea and cholera."

Access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation is essential for preventing waterborne diseases like cholera, which spreads rapidly through water contaminated with feces. Malaria and dengue fever outbreaks also will be a major concern in the coming weeks after mosquitoes have time to breed in the stagnant water that flooded the delta.

Malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other big killers have plagued Burma before this disaster, in a country where one in three children is estimated to be malnourished. About 3 percent of the government’s annual budget is spent on health, in comparison with the 40 percent spent on the military, according to Stover’s report.

"It’s as bad as we think it is, there’s no question about that," Dr. Stover said of current conditions in Burma. "I think for public health people and for UN personnel, the frustrating thing is they can’t see it."

Dr. Stover is also an adjunct professor of law at Berkeley Law and the faculty director of UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center (HRC), which has been involved with human rights in Burma since 2006. In May 2008, HRC staff facilitated the creation and distribution of a report by an activist organization, the 88 Generation Students: Burma (Myanmar): A Preliminary Report on the Referendum of May 10, 2008. HRC staff also worked with students in the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy to examine the effectiveness of sanctions against Burma. Their report, Flying Blind: Investigating the Humanitarian and Human Rights Impacts of the U.S. Sanctions Regime on Burma, was released on May 8.