Cyclone Nargis survivors reach to receive candy at a Buddhist temple turned into a makeshift shelter in the town of Phyapon. Myanmar (Burma), 2008.
Eyal Warshawski
The distress experienced by millions of people in Myanmar continues largely unnoticed. Controlled by a military regime since 1962 and subject to international sanctions, the country has been cut off from the outside world for decades. People lack access to healthcare and cannot afford services even when they are available.
Malaria, malnutrition, tuberculosis (TB) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) cause a huge amount of illness and death. Malaria is widespread throughout the country and HIV/AIDS co-infection with TB is high.
MSF conducts ongoing negotiations to get access to these people and, despite this difficult environment, performed over one million consultations in 2006 alone. MSF have several projects focusing on prevention and treatment of STIs and HIV/AIDS, while increasingly devoting greater attention to patients con-infected with TB. Malaria clinics have been set up in certain areas and basic healthcare projects are running in places diffcult to reach or affected by high levels of conflict. MSF also continues a feeding programme for children and provides healthcare to the Rohingya, a discriminated against muslim minority group.
MSF has worked in Myanmar since 1992.