Note: Medical Teams International is no longer operating in Myanmar.

A Neglected Health System

Years of isolation and civil war has hurt Myanmar’s development. With a long-neglected health system, many people lack access to medical care. Mothers and children and people who need emergency medical care are especially vulnerable.

Mothers and children die at an alarming rate in Myanmar. There is a lack of information and treatment for basic health needs. Children suffer from malnutrition, diarrhea and malaria. Pregnant women do not get prenatal care and they deliver their babies at home.

Injury and death from road accidents is also high. Until 2012, there were hardly any ambulances in the country. In recent years, an ambulance system started to develop in urban areas. But most of the ambulances were not equipped with supplies. Many were staffed with only one person, the driver.

Restoring Health for the Most Vulnerable

Over the years, our work in Myanmar focused on caring for mothers and children in remote villages. With basic training, community volunteers can now vastly improve health within their own communities. These volunteers learned how to diagnose and prevent malaria, diarrhea and respiratory infections. They learned about keeping children healthy with good nutrition. And now they pass this information along to their neighbors.

With your help, we also trained midwives, so more mothers and babies survive childbirth. And we provided EMS training to professionals who will then replicate the class for others.

In 2018, we transitioned our work in Myanmar to local entities. We’re confident and thankful that this life-saving knowledge will be passed on long after we’re gone.