Support for women, newborns in Myanmar
17 August, 2012
In addition to supporting pregnant women, the program will help children under five get a good start in life. Photo: James Howlett
Foreign Minister Bob Carr has announced Australia’s support for a joint United Nations program to tackle the main causes of maternal, neonatal and child death in Myanmar.
The program includes activities that are immunising expectant mothers and babies, training doctors and health clinic staff and providing outreach services.
Pregnancy complications such as haemorrhage are the leading cause of death for women of childbearing age in Myanmar.
One in 14 children dies before their fifth birthday, often from preventable causes like pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and neonatal complications.
The Joint United Nations Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Programme in Myanmar will provide services in 132 townships across Myanmar, including 70 that are hard to reach. Mobile outreach services will reach 3000 remote and difficult to access villages.
The program of prevention and treatment measures includes activities to:
- Immunise against tetanus more than 140,000 expectant mothers in hard to reach villages
- Immunise against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus about 182,000 newborns in hard to reach villages
- Refurbish 20 delivery rooms in poor townships
- Provide treatment for 60,000 cases of malaria
- Train paediatricians and health clinic staff in advanced and basic newborn care
- Provide clean delivery kits and equipment for mobile outreach ante-natal care in hard to reach townships.
The program will strengthen evidence-based policies for maternal and child health through initiatives such as improving record management, data collection, health guidelines and midwife training curriculum.
The program is being delivered by the World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund and United Nations Population Fund in 2012.
More information
Joint United Nations Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Programme
Why we give aid to Burma
How we give aid to Burma
Last Reviewed: 17 August, 2012