The children dying in India's remote tribal heartland

SO YOU KNOW HOW EVERYONE WAS SAYING, WELL, FIRST BACK IN MAY CHILDREN STARTED GETTING HIGH FEVERS AND SORES IN BALAGHAT DISTRICT IN INDIA AND THEN AT LEAST THIRTY-TWO CHILDREN DIED ACROSS REMOTE VILLAGES MOSTLY FROM THE BAIGA TRIBE AND OFFICIALS ATTRIBUTE IT MAINLY TO MEASLES AND MALARIA AGGRAVATED BY MALNUTRITION AND DELAYS IN TREATMENT WHICH IS DEVASTATING BECAUSE THE NEAREST STATE HOSPITAL IS SEVENTY KILOMETERS AWAY IN BIRSA AND MONSOON RAINS TURNED THE DIRT TRACKS INTO SLIPPERY MUD SO FAMILIES WITH NO VEHICLES COULD NOT GET HELP AND DOCTORS INVESTIGATING THE OUTBREAK LITERALLY HAD TO TRAVEL ON TRACTORS TO REACH THEM AND LAWMAKERS ARE SAYING THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS MANY CHILDREN DIE IN SUCH A SHORT TIME.

SO THE NEWS IS DOING THAT THING AGAIN WHERE THEY JUST CALL IT AN OUTBREAK AND MOVE ON BUT IT IS ACTUALLY REMOTE VILLAGES IN MADHYA PRADESH WHERE AT LEAST THIRTY-TWO CHILDREN HAVE DIED SINCE MAY AND MOST ARE FROM THE BAIGA TRIBE RANGING FROM BABIES TO AN EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD AND THE THING IS OFFICIALS ARE BLAMING MEASLES AND MALARIA MIXED WITH MALNUTRITION AND DELAYS IN TREATMENT BUT REACHING A HEALTH CENTRE IS A MASSIVE CHALLENGE IN THE MONSOON BECAUSE NARROW DIRT TRACKS TURN INTO SLIPPERY MUD AND THE NEAREST STATE HOSPITAL IS SEVENTY KILOMETERS AWAY IN BIRSA WHICH MEANS FAMILIES WITHOUT VEHICLES CANNOT GET CARE AND INVESTIGATING DOCTORS LITERALLY HAD TO TRAVEL ON TRACTORS JUST TO REACH THEM AND A LAWMAKER SAYS NEITHER HE NOR HIS FATHER EVER SAW THIS MANY CHILDREN DIE IN SUCH A SHORT TIME.

At least 32 children, mostly from the Baiga tribal group, have died from measles and malaria in India's remote Balaghat district amid heavy rains and poor hospital access.

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