Location: Myitkyina (Kachin) and Yangon

Situation:

Bolstered by its victory in the February 2008 referendum, the military junta is hardly any less isolated internationally, with its support limited to a few other Asian countries led by China. The Burmese suffer from growing poverty, due as much to the restrictive economic policies as to under-investment in education and health. In health terms, AIDS continues to spread in the face of a lack of any appropriate response. Doctors of the World UK (DoW) intervened with an emergency programme after Cyclone Nargis struck the country in May 2008. 

Activities:

DoW UK works on prevention and access to care for sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS among sex workers and drug users. This is done through HIV/AIDS prevention sessions, screening and free healthcare for sexually transmitted infections, opportunistic infections and HIV/AIDS (491 patients on anti-retroviral therapy at the end of 2008). Opiate substitution treatment is also offered (61 patients on methadone at end of 2008) and a needle exchange programme is provided (800,000 in 2008). Support groups for people living with HIV/AIDS and recreational workshops take place in our four day centres.

Outlook:

In Yangon and Kachin the programme will continue to provide comprehensive care to beneficiaries. DoW UK will also continue to lobby the Burmese health authorities and the international community to increase access to anti-retrovirals for the most marginalised groups and to increase harm reduction activities for drug users (needle exchange, methadone substitution).