Myanmar to focus on mother and child health development

Photo: @ JICA

Myanmar is determined to attain the objectives of International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), whose main function is to give reproductive healthcare focusing on the mortality rate of infants and children below five years old and mothers who are pregnant and expecting their would-be babies. This is also a program on the mother and child care.

The United Nations agencies and Health Ministry has already implemented the five-year reproductive health program to accomplish Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by year 2015, said news report from Xinhua.

Sai Mauk Kham, Vice President of Myanmar focused on the importance of knowing how mothers would take health care measure and action intended for any health concerns so as to reduce the death of both infant and mother as well as getting rid of illnesses and diseases for both the mother and child.

The figure of mortality rate in Myanmar as of 2010 was lowered to 200 per 100,000 infants from the record in 1990 with 520.

According to the birth and reproductive health survey conducted in the entire country, the percentage of unmarried has increased and the age for marriage is higher. Youth who are not married and adults who are in a state of pregnancy must be given support and concern to avoid them from resorting to dangerous acts such as abortion because of unplanned pregnancy.

To be able to meet this objective, it is essential to spread information and address family planning by NGO’s and government sectors, to increase knowledge and understanding of the reproductive health to educate young individuals by including it as part of their curriculum, the report said.

Other services extended by NGO’s like Myanmar Medical Association and Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association are formal education pertaining to reproductive health, facts about sexually transmitted disease and giving out service by conducting counselling.

With the constitution of 2008, it was stated that mothers, children and expectant mothers have the right to healthcare services. Myanmar does not limit the composition of a family but it’s a matter of choice. If they want a bigger or smaller family so be it.

Normally, people living in highly urbanized area got only one to two kids because they are more accessible to basic information on reproductive health as compared to people residing in rural parts who bear a big number of kids whom they consider as their jewels according to news report from Xinhua.