Health Systems in Burma: Creating Unity, Peace and Sustainability

Abstract

Communities in Eastern Burma have been living with civil war for over 60 years. Protracted conflict and widespread and systematic human rights abuses have had severe impacts on the health of civilian populations, with health indicators from these areas highlighting a ‘chronic emergency’.

Even with the current ceasefires and the resulting reduction in conflict in Karen State, health organisations working with populations on the Thai Burma border are treating a mobile population which moves back and forth across the border in order to access their basic needs including safety, work, education and health.

Mae Tao Clinic has been working with clients from Burma living along the Thai Burma border for over 25 years. It has worked with local Thai government health and public health since the beginning. There is a massive disparity between health services in Thailand and those in Burma, which is why about half of our clients travel from Burma to access health services. In Burma, there is a similar level of disparity between health service access availability in the urban and rural areas. Access for rural communities is extremely poor due to both the lack of facilities and health workers, as well as prohibitive costs. In Thailand, many migrant workers have come looking for work in Thailand, in order to pay the health bills of family members living in Burma.

When envisioning a nation of healthy citizens in Burma, the social determinants of health need to be addressed and communities need to feel empowered to address their health needs, by improving living conditions such as ending conflict, removing land mines, having access to land, work place safety, safe water, safe housing, minimising financial risks and improving access to education, health, legal and social services.