Maybe it is just me, but I would like to see a much longer interview with the Minister of Health and Sport published by the mainstream print media. Dr Myint Htwe has clearly outlined his priorities, including systematising of the health sector, building a health information system, and using international assistance for health issues relevant […]

A new collective voices report has just been released by the Three Millennium Development Goals Fund. There were no respondents in Kachin or Sagaing interviewed for this study. http://www.3mdg.org/en/newsroom/item/675-communities-matter-report-launched-to-change-how-health-is-understood Poverty is the only social determinant of health that was discussed in any detail by the people interviewed. What determinants were not discussed? Jamie ++++++++++++++++++ “Communities […]

There is a bit of confusion about the deadline for cigarette manufacturers, distributors, and sellers in Myanmar to ensure that all packages have graphic health warnings. The original deadline was set to 1 September. Some sources are now reporting a six month grace period but I can find no official text documenting this. So the […]

This must be the same Rory Stewart who once walked across Afghanistan. Does anyone know if this is new money the UK is giving to 3MDGF or was it previously promised? Jamie ++++++++++++++++++ UK pledges to help Myanmar with malaria, natural disasters Lun Min Mang Myanmar Times Monday, 29 August 2016 On his first visiting […]

Can any reader give an estimate of what proportion of packages of cigarettes sold on the streets currently have these photos? Have you seen the photos? There is clear evidence that plain packages or graphic warnings decrease cigarette consumption. Jamie ++++++++++++++++++ Myanmar demands warnings on cigarette packs Eleven Myanmar August 17, 2016 7:25 pm YANGON […]

CD4 cell counts should no longer be a criterion for HIV treatment initiation. As ‘test and treat’ rolls out in Myanmar, ‘attrition’ should become a thing of the past. One hopes that ‘dropout’ does not replace it. Jamie Alarming attrition rates among HIV-infected individuals in pre-antiretroviral therapy care in Myanmar, 2011–2014 Myo Minn Oo1*, Vivek […]

Here is a report on access to health care among internally displaced people in Rakhine. http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-bulletin-issue-2-april-june-2016 “Muslims living in villages and IDP camps in Rakhine face particular financial and logistics challenges when it comes to accessing health care for serious conditions.” Enough said. Jamie

Malaria experts says people (and hence the parasite) are mobile. Can anyone explain how a programme implemented in only 33 townships can help eliminate malaria? Do these townships have the most intense transmission? Jamie ++++++++++++++++++ US aid program targets malaria in 33 townships Htike Nanda Win Myanmar Times 26 August 2106 A campaign led by […]

Health in Myanmar [him] http://www.hivinfo4mm.org is back after a well earned break. Remember a few years back we weren’t allowed to talk about sex work in Pakokku because one of the ministers was from there. But everyone knew that there was a brothel area in town. This article gets down to some of the issues […]