In Myanmar, this right is not yet a reality for everyone. On this World Health Day, I would like to emphasize that access to quality health care is a prerequisite for individual well-being, economic development, and social progress. Unfortunately, despite remarkable progress in the past few decades, millions of people still lack access to basic health services, medicines, and vaccines. In Myanmar, health disparities persist, particularly among rural and marginalized communities. Limited access to healthcare services, insufficient human resources, and inadequate health financing have resulted in high maternal and child mortality rates, high prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and insufficient pandemic preparedness. As the world grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that access to healthcare is more important than ever. The virus has highlighted the deep inequalities in healthcare that exist in many parts of the world, including Myanmar. Hospitals were overwhelmed, and many people were struggling to access the care they needed. This is particularly true for those living in rural areas, where access to healthcare services is very limited. We must take immediate steps to address these issues and ensure that everyone has access to quality healthcare services. Achieving "Health for All" requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the social determinants of health, strengthens health systems, and ensures access to quality health services for all. We need to prioritize investments in primary health care, disease prevention, and health promotion. We must also work towards equitable access to essential medicines and vaccines. In addition, one way to achieve “Health for all” is through the implementation of universal health coverage (UHC). UHC is a system where everyone has access to essential healthcare services of good quality without facing financial hardships. It is an approach that has been adopted by many countries around the world and has been proven to be effective in improving health outcomes. Myanmar has made some progress towards achieving UHC, but there is still a long way to go. The country needs to increase its investment on healthcare and further invest in essential health infrastructure and on health workforce. It must also work to further strengthen its health system and ensure that essential medicines and equipment are available to everyone who needs them. In addition to investment in healthcare, there needs to be a greater focus on preventative healthcare measures. This includes promoting healthy lifestyles, increasing access to nutritious food, and providing education on health and hygiene. By investing in preventative healthcare measures, Myanmar can reduce the burden on its healthcare system and improve the overall health of its people. Nevertheless, one of the biggest challenges facing the healthcare system in Myanmar is the low total health expenditure and high Out – of – pocket expenditure. Lack of adequate level of investment on health would invariably result in a shortage of health workforce, inadequate health infrastructure, and shortages of essential medicines and equipment. Ensuring health for all in Myanmar is not only a moral imperative but also an economic one. Healthy people are more productive, and a healthy population can contribute to economic growth. The country needs to recognize the importance of investing in healthcare and prioritize it accordingly. In conclusion, as we mark the World Health Day and 75 years of WHO this year, in 2023, let us commit ourselves to the goal of "Health for All." This requires political will, sustained investment, and partnership across sectors and stakeholders. Let us work together for Myanmar, where everyone can access quality health care without facing financial hardship, and where health is a shared responsibility and a common good.

“We (Women with disabilities) experience double discrimination due to our gender and disability status. Without having access to information and services, we are more vulnerable to face different forms of violence both inside and outside of our homes,” Nwe Nwe Win, a local woman with physical disability said. According to the 2019 Myanmar Inter-censal Survey, there is an estimated of 3.5 million females with disabilities compared to an estimated 2.5 million of males. Women with disabilities are 2 to 4 times more likely to experience intimate partner violence. They are more vulnerable to experience the situation such as withholding medication and assistive devices (such as wheelchairs, hearing aid and white canes, etc.), denial of assistance, food, water, and basic needs. In conflict related situations, women and girls with disabilities are especially vulnerable. UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, with the support of local partner organizations of persons with disabilities, provides dignity kits which include basic needs for women and girls with disabilities from affected communities to ensure their personal hygiene and dignity. “I had to flee my home when armed clashes happened near my village. I couldn’t bring anything from my personal belongings due to my physical disability. Thanks to the items included in the kits such as basic clothing and sanitary napkins, I can live with dignity and manage my personal hygiene even in the situation of emergency”, said Nyein Nyein, a local woman with disabilities from conflict affected area. Sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence information is important for women with disabilities at the displaced sites to minimize the risks they might have. Without access to the sexual and reproductive health services and information, they are at higher risk of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Women with disabilities are up to 10 times more likely to experience sexual violence. It is important to provide information and services for persons with disabilities considering their specific needs based on major types of disabilities. Sian Nuam, a local woman with physical disability said, “I didn’t notice that I was experiencing gender-based violence at home. Thanks to the assistive devices (wheelchair) to go out by myself without needing assistance from my family anymore and the opportunity to attend gender-based violence awareness and mental health and psychosocial support sessions provided by local OPD with the support of UNFPA, I feel empowered and understand my rights.” Every person with disability has equal rights and choices as anyone else, as in global frameworks such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ICPD Programme of Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To end discrimination and exclusion in our society, it is important that we leave no one behind. “The integrated sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence and mental health and psychosocial support services and information are lifesaving assets for the women and girls with disabilities especially who are at the conflict affected displaced sites, by safeguarding their dignity, and opportunity to practice their body rights with the informed choices” - Yu Myat Mun, Programme Analyst, UNFPA Myanmar. UNFPA’s support also ensure the equal accessibility to the maternal and family planning services for the persons with disabilities promoting their sexual and reproductive rights as others. Joshua, one of the leaders of local organization of persons with disabilities said, “The main barrier which women and girls with disabilities face in the society is not their disabilities, but, sadly, it is the discrimination against them in various walks of life. It hinders full and effective participation of women with disabilities in the communities. We must end this barrier - discrimination against persons with disabilities including women and girl and provide support to ensure their rights and dignity.”   About the CERF-funded project in Myanmar The overall aim of the programme funded by the global Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is to provide survivors of gender-based violence and those at risk with multi-sectoral services and livelihood opportunities and to facilitate their economic empowerment. As part of localization efforts, 30 per cent of the funding has been allocated directly to local women-led organizations and women’s rights organizations, with a view to enhancing their operational capacity. The programme also contributes to the protection and needs of at-risk marginalized groups. The cookery and financial management skills training course described in the story is an integral part of the livelihood opportunities provided by two local partner organizations to women living in camps for internally displaced people, including GBV survivors.

Kachin State, Myanmar — On International Women’s Day, Daw Htu Tawng, 33, and Daw Ja Nan, 34, are giggling together in the kitchen of their restaurant in north-eastern Myanmar. Daw Htu Tawng is holding some spices; she adds a dash of black pepper in a pot of noodles while the other stirs the food. The air holds a fusion of mouth-watering aromas. With this year’s International Women’s Day promoting Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality, it is a perfect setting to celebrate women who have used their new cookery and business skills to establish their own restaurant, breaking barriers for women in the catering business. “The business is doing well,” said Daw Ja Nan, a mother of three. “Our best sellers are the ban sai salad, and the spicy noodles garnished with sweet-smelling herbs, which makes the taste of our home so much alive in our popular noodles.” When they first established their restaurant Ma Join Lusha Seng (meaning “origin” in Kachin), some people did not believe the enterprise would last a month. However, the two women have proved that with enough support, women too can create and sustain profit-making businesses. In the last 10 months, the two chefs have been preparing hot delicious meals, and trying new recipes that have kept their many customers happy. After receiving a cookery and business management training course through an initiative funded by the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the business partners received the opportunity to learn diverse ways of cooking many types of food. The new skills gave them the confidence to start their own small restaurant, outside Pa Ka Htawng Camp 3 (an internally displaced people’s camp) in Kachin State. They settled in this camp with their families after an armed conflict between the Myanmar armed forces and the Kachin ethnic armed group in 2021 forced them to leave their village in Sein Lone in Man Si Township. And using their innovation, they are now able to run their business, working safely and generating an income helping them to look after their families.  "Education is important because it empowers you and makes you confident to take that bold step towards helping yourself, your family and your community.” — Daw Htu Tawng, an entrepreneur in Myanmar  Through the CERF multi-country programme in Myanmar, UN Women and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) are collaborating with women’s civil society organizations to use technology and innovative ways to provide life-saving assistance, build capacity to address socio-economic challenges and enhance the protection of vulnerable women and girls from risks such as child marriage, human trafficking and sexual and gender-based violence (GBV). The multi-country programme targets 69,029 women and girls in Kachin and Rakhine states with activities under UNFPA, improving communities’ access to quality and comprehensive prevention and response services for gender-based violence. For their part, UN Women is complementing these efforts through the provision of a series of trainings that support livelihoods such as cookery; sewing; hairdressing; livestock production; other life skills and cash assistance. In May 2022, UN Women partnered with the Finnish Refugee Council to provide livelihood support, life skills and vocational training that targeted survivors of GBV and women and girls at risk of GBV. The aim was to transfer skills that would empower women to start income-generating enterprises. Thirty women participated in a cookery and business management skills training that changed the lives of Daw Ja Nan and Daw Htu Tawng. “The interventions have so far demonstrated the ability to help prevent displaced women from falling prey to unsafe work and working environments and selling family property to earn a living,” mother-of-two Daw Htu Tawng said. After completing their one-month training course, the women borrowed one million Kyat (USD 500) from a relative to start their business. With a daily expenditure of 42 Kyat on ingredients, the business is now making a profit of 31 Kyat each day. Most of their clients are camp residents while others are migrant workers. “We are now able to look after our families and also use some of the money to pay back our loan,” Daw Ja Nan said. The business partners dream of one day opening a bigger restaurant and expanding to provide specialized catering services at events such as weddings and graduation parties. Increasing their profits means a lot to the women who are passionate about their children’s education and dream of sending them to good universities in Yangon. “Education is important because it empowers you and makes you confident to take that bold step towards helping yourself, your family and your community,” Daw Htu Tawng said. We are grateful for the support we have received and wish there could be more training opportunities to support other women to also start other types of businesses.”
  About the CERF-funded project in Myanmar The overall aim of the programme funded by the global Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is to provide survivors of gender-based violence and those at risk with multi-sectoral services and livelihood opportunities and to facilitate their economic empowerment. As part of localization efforts, 30 per cent of the funding has been allocated directly to local women-led organizations and women’s rights organizations, with a view to enhancing their operational capacity. The programme also contributes to the protection and needs of at-risk marginalized groups. The cookery and financial management skills training course described in the story is an integral part of the livelihood opportunities provided by two local partner organizations to women living in camps for internally displaced people, including GBV survivors. This article was originally published in the UN Women Asia and the Pacific website on March 29 and can be found here.

In honouring the women of Myanmar, UNDP celebrates the work of Ma Lin Lin, a midwife, HIV care provider and now a dedicated leader helping run a water bottling plant in Yangon’s Hlaingtharya Township, supported by UNDP and WaterAid. Having worked as a midwife and volunteered to provide care for people living with HIV, Ma Lin Lin already knows the importance of providing support to those around her. Now she is thrilled to help improve the health and well-being of people in her community by providing clean drinking water. This plant provides clean drinking water to over 6,900 people at just 250 kyats ($0.15) a bottle – the same as what they had been paying previously for a bucket of unclean water that was causing many people to get sick. “When they got sick, they could not afford their hospital bills and because of their low income, they could not spare any money to buy clean water. So, it was a never-ending cycle back then. We now have access to clean water, and we can earn extra money from this work. Since then, the number of people getting sick dramatically decreased in the village. Women in our group have jobs now and earn their own monthly incomes”, said Ma Lin Lin. The plant is part of a wider UNDP project in Yangon, which includes supporting women who struggle to earn a stable income to get vocational training and better-paid work. UNDP has already helped over 100,000 people in Hlaingtharya rebuild their lives. Ma Lin Lin’s leadership and determination to make a positive change during these difficult times in Myanmar are vitally important. She sets an example to those around her and shows how supporting women to access positions like these is critical to improving their role in society.