Strengthening healthcare for remote, migrant communities in Myanmar

Malaria Consortium is engaging in an exciting opportunity in Myanmar to demonstrate that community-based health services can be truly effective against childhood diseases.

Co-funded by UK Aid and Vitol Foundation, Malaria Consortium’s Advancing Healthcare Delivery focuses on addressing gaps in health services of underserved and migrant communities in Sagaing, in northwestern Myanmar, where there is a high prevalence of diseases such as diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia.

The Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports (MoHS) is intested in using this project to assess the effectiveness of a community-based approach to health services called integrated community case management (iCCM). Malaria Consortium has been asked that this project provide evidence of its feasibility and acceptability.

“We will demonstrate that those services successfully work to save children under five from the killer diseases of malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia,” said Malaria Consortium Country Director for Myanmar, Sharon Thangadurai. “It is intended that the approach will then be adapted to form the basis for the development of a national iCCM strategy for Myanmar.”

Through the project, we are training volunteer community health workers to detect and treat these three diseases in their early stages, as well as to screen for dengue and malnutrition. We are also providing them with extensive supportive supervision to improve the quality and reach of iCCM coverage. The result is an increase the number of children from remote communities receiving prompt and appropriate healthcare. Malaria Consortium is also engaging innovative behaviour change practices to reach and mobilise ethnic communities on iCCM approaches.

The Advancing Healthcare Delivery project began in 2016 and will run until next summer. Three townships in Sagaing Region - Banmauk, Pinlebu and Kalay - have been selected for involvement in the project by the Myanmar National Malaria Control Programme, the Child Health and Development and the Nutrition divisions of MoHS.

More information on Malaria Consortium’s work in Myanmar, can be found on our Myanmar country page.