Partnership for Health Development
The multi-sect oral dimension is inherent in
practically every health intervention. The rapid advancements in information
technology and communication systems sweeping across the world today have made
every nation irrevocably a part of the global village. No country is immune any
longer to the consequences of actions of other countries and nations.
17 th Meeting of Health
Ministers, WHO South-East Asia Region 12-14 October, 1999
The Ministry of Health has closely cooperated
with several organizations within the
UN system, particularly those organizations playing an important role in public
health. The WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA are mainly responsible for the provision
of technical assistance and also have been involved in assisting various health
care activities. UNDP, UNHCR, JICA, OXFAM, SCF, etc. are also actively involved
in health development activities.
H. E. Major General Ket Sein meeting the Director General of WHO Dr. Gro
Brundtland
Myanmar is actively involved in
activities pertaining to international health development. Myanmar as one of
the countries of the WHO South East Asia region has signal the
"Declaration on the Health Development in the 21st Century in
the SEA region" and will do its best for health development of the country
as well as the region. WHO has provided technical support to the Ministry of
Health and has also gradually expanded the scope of cooperation. 
As Myanmar has shown its potential for
implementing projects in collaboration with WHO, there have been several
successful WHO supported activities. As a member country in the WHO, SEA
Region, Myanmar holds the tradition of participating actively in the Regional
health activities. The Seventeenth Meeting of Health Ministers of the Countries
of the WHO South East Asia Region, hosted for the first time in Myanmar, was
held successfully in Yangon in October 1999.
H. E. Major General Ket Sein meeting Executive Director of
UNICEF MS. Carol Bellamy
UNICEF has been supporting
development projects under the World Summit for Children and Expanded Programme
for lmmunization. In 1991, the Government ratified the World Declaration on the
Survival, Protection and Development of the 
Children. Some of the goals of the
declaration such as reduction of infant mortality rate and increase adult
literacy rate have been spelled out in the country's agenda for health
development. Myanmar-UNICEF cooperation under the 1996-2000 Country
Programme has resulted in some important progress for children and Expanded
Programme for Immunization, Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Project,
Elimination of iodine Deficiency Disorders, to mention a few, are now being
implemented in collaboration with UNICEF.
H.E. Major General
Ket Sein, Minister for Health, inaugurating the 24th Session of WHO South-East
Asia Advisory Committee on Health Research
On the other hand, UNFPA has been a major supporter of Birth Spacing project since 1996. UNDP also has been supporting several development projects in health field and gradually expand the scope of cooperation. As Myanmar has also become a member of the ASEAN in July 1997, it has adopted the activities of the "ASEAN Health and Nutrition Programme, 1997-2001"
A Medical Seminar sponsored by a private organization
In addition international NGOs are also joining hands with Myanmar in health development activities.