The 2025 Myanmar earthquake: public health emergency responses and challenges in the post-disaster period

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, a lower-middle income country, is located in Southeast Asia between latitudes 90° 32' N and 28° 31' N and longitudes 92° 10' E and 101° 11' E, sharing borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand, facing the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal in the south and southwest. In terms of climate, Myanmar is located in a tropical region, experiencing hot temperatures, high humidity, and copious rainfall. The country’s total land area is 676,578 square kilometers, characterized by hilly and mountainous topography. Administratively, Myanmar is divided into seven States (Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine, and Shan - cover mainly the upland areas and are largely populated by national races/ethnic communities), seven Regions (Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, and Yangon - are situated mainly on the plains), and one Union Territory (Nay Pyi Taw). The current population is estimated at 51.3 million people and males accounted for 46.9% of the population. Two-thirds of the total population lives in rural areas and the larger urban populations are concentrated in Yangon and Mandalay.