Mission Burma
Infant mortality: 75‰
Life expectancy at birth: 60,8
HDI: 0.583; RANK 132/177
Real GDP/inhabitant ($): n.a.
Population:
Beneficiaries: 9,000
Target: 50,000
Personnel:
Local: 135
Expatriate: 6
Funding:
EUROPEAID, NOVIB, MdM, PSI
Budget 2007:
1,330,421 e
Following the regime’s bloody repression of the peaceful demonstrations which took place in autumn 2007, the situation in Burma is difficult both politically and economically. Isolated internationally, the ruling military junta’s only support comes from a few of its neighbours, particularly China. In health terms, AIDS continues to spread due to the lack of appropriate responses to problems linked to prostitution and intravenous drug use.
Prevention and care for sexually transmitted infections and HIV - Myitkyina (Kachin) and Yangon
Activities :
MdM works on prevention and access to healthcare (including access to anti-retroviral therapy) for STIs and HIV/AIDS among sex workers and drug users.The key activities among sex workers (Yangon):
• HIV/AIDS prevention sessions, free healthcare for STIs and opportunistic infections;
• recreational workshops in our day centres and condom distribution.
Main activities with drug users (Kachin state):
• promoting harm reduction techniques in places where people inject;
• distributing needles/syringes (410,000 in 2007);
• education and prevention sessions;
• free healthcare for STIs and opportunistic infections;
• recreational workshops in day centres.
Outlook :
In Yangon, MdM will continue to provide comprehensive care to beneficiaries. In Kachin State, we will continue to focus on the methadone substitution programme linked to anti-retroviral provision, depending on the results of an evaluation planned for 2008. We will continue to lobby the Burmese health authorities and the international communities to promote prevention and healthcare among the most marginalised.
August 2008