Shan State Special Region 4 (SR4) is situated in the northeast of Myanmar/Burma, bordering Laos, Thailand and China, with a population of 85,000 people, mainly from 3 ethnic groups (Akha, Shan and Pulaung).
In comparison with Myanmar’s national health indicators, the local health conditions show an appalling picture as decades of political conflict and isolation from central government have impoverished SR4.
Health Poverty Action has been working with local partners including the local health department in this remote and mountainous part of the country to enable indigenous people to realise their right to health.
Focusing on preventable diseases that kill young children, and childbirth services for women, we are increasing access to basic health services, providing equipment and medicines and increasing awareness of disease prevention among communities.
Health systems
Between 2006 and 2010 we achieved a considerable amount: 3 districts hospitals and 9 clinics were established and equipped with basic medicines and equipment, health staff have been trained and now they are able to offer better quality services. Vaccination services are now regularly provided for children, reducing death from diseases such as measles, polio and TB. So far 33.5% of children under 2 have completed full course of immunization. The commitments for the future are to enhance the capacity of existing health system, particularly at community level and to ensure that 50% of children under 2 years are fully vaccinated.
Safer birthing
Five years ago, virtually no women in SR4 received assistance from a trained helper when they gave birth. Health Poverty Action has trained midwives and traditional birth attendants (TBAs) to conduct clean deliveries and advise women on how to care for their babies. Now more than half of the women in the region get help during pregnancy, labour and the first few months of the child’s life, and the child mortality rate has dropped dramatically from 164/1,000 to 52.2/1,000.
In the current phase of the project, we are seeking to build on these successes, by building the capacity of nurses and midwives in hospitals and health centres, and training village health workers to identify and refer women who are at high risk of having problems in labour.
Community
Our work in SR4 aims to increase communities’ involvement in decisions affecting their health, enabling people to make simple changes that will enable them to keep healthy. We are training village groups to plan their own health work, and helping them with education materials and building materials so they can construct latrines and clean water systems.
The project is funded by the European Union and UKaid from the Department for International Development
Last modified: 09/12/2011
