It would have been nice to hear a little bit more about HIV prevention in the Wa region. VC(C)T is not prevention.
[him] moderator
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Portrait of our help: Dr. Aye Aye Thet
Improving the health status through collaboration and coordination
Interview with Dr. Aye Aye Thet, Deputy Country Health Coordinator and Technical Focal Person in Myanmar
To improve the quality of life and reduce morbidity and mortality rates for the people of Myanmar by providing full access to health care facilities and teaching proper practice of preventive measures – that is the aim of Dr. Aye Aye Thet.
Dr. Aye Aye Thet (40) grew up in Yangon, the capital of Myanmar, and joined Malteser International as a medical doctor in March 2004. After a short break, obtaining her Master’s degree in Public Health in Thailand, Dr. Aye Aye Thet rejoined Malteser International in April 2010.
Dr. Aye Aye Thet, what exactly are your tasks as Deputy Country Health Coordinator and Technical Focal Person?
I have a wide variety of tasks. Some are rather technical like updating the statistics of health project activities or preparing reports. Others are more practical like conducting evaluation and monitoring field visits or participating in meetings with donors. I also organise internal technical trainings as well as refresher trainings on clinical management for the health staff in the field.
On a regular working day, I communicate with different project sites to find out project needs and provide support. I also collaborate with government focal persons, international non-governmental organisations, and agencies of the United Nations (UN).
What is your personal motivation to do this work?
It is very important for me that, as a staff member of Malteser International in Myanmar, I am able to complement government initiatives by providing additional support for the health sector facilities. I am thus able to contribute to the Millennium Development Goals.
What are the biggest difficulties you have to face in your daily work?
On a day to day basis, regular access to remote rural regions is often very difficult - especially during the rainy season. This hinders the implementation of my work. Additionally, communicating to the people that some changes in their behaviour can prevent an infection with a disease frequently is frequently difficult due to local traditions and taboos, low education levels and economical statuses as well
as language barriers - many people only speak their local dialect. Finally, the process of training local health educators is often interrupted because of migration.
However, being able to help where help is needed most is the greatest reward and makes dealing with all these little difficulties worthwhile. I experienced this once more in May 2008 after the sudden attack of Cyclone Nargis when Malteser International provided emergency relief for the people in the Irrawaddy Delta: In this critical situation and with limited facilities available, I was able to see the human as well as the technical support strengthened so that the activities of Malteser International could effectively be enhanced
You mentioned the different traditional background of the people you are working with. Could you please explain to us in more detail?
The beneficiaries of our tuberculosis project in Northern Rakhine State along the Myanmar Bangladesh border, for example, are mostly refugees and returnees living in crowded camps. The majority are Muslims differentiating them from other ethnic groups. Although there is no discrimination between Muslim and local people, low economical and educational status, difficult transportation as well as restrictions through traditional and social rules contribute to their limited access to health care facilities.
Another example: The majority of our beneficiaries in the Wa region are ethnic minorities such as the Wa, Ahkar or Larhu. As a result of booming trade across the Chinese Myanmar border, the Wa region has quickly developed into a thriving entertainment industry including a lot of sex businesses. As a consequence, the region is now considered a HIV hotspot.
How does the population react to the topic of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS?
All in all, the population reacts positively to this topic. Especially the voluntary confidential counselling and testing (VCCT) services are well accepted. Commercial sex workers, however, often hesitate to come to the VCCT clinic for regular testing because they may be forced to disclose the results.
People living with HIV have – for example – developed a national social organisation known as Myanmar Positive Group. They conduct trainings for HIV counsellors as well as international and local staff about VCCT, the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, psychosocial support, and home-based care approaches. Additionally, they have set up a network for social care as well as the supply of anti-retroviral medicine and conduct research on HIV/AIDS and its stigmatisation.
Interview: Lisa Schoenmeier (December 2010)
http://www.malteser-international.org/en/home/media-library/reportagen/asien/myanmar/portrait-of-our-help-dr-aye-aye-thet.html
