A window to wider health needs

Six months have passed since cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Delta, leaving an estimated 130,000 people dead or missing and altering the region immeasurably.

The scars it left behind remain evident today, not least in the minds of the survivors and their ongoing vulnerability. Nutrition the availability of drinkable water and livelihoods remain key concerns, especially in some harder to reach areas. The people of the Delta, however, have demonstrated great resilience and signs of improvement are visible. 

An unprecedented number of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), working alongside the state authorities, have done much to stabilise the situation and continue to provide essential support for people’s ongoing recovery.  As such, Médecins Sans Frontières is now able to hand over many of its programs to other actors, while continuing to work in some lesser assisted areas of concern. 

In distinct contrast, elsewhere in the country we continue to battle against chronic and urgent health needs, compounded by a lack of investment by both the government and the international community alike. State health expenditure per person in 2007 was just $0.7 USD*, a meager 0.3% of the countries Gross Domestic Product**. Likewise international humanitarian aid is strikingly low, around $3 USD per person***, the lowest rate worldwide. 

This selective blindness to countrywide needs continues to cost the lives of thousands of people year upon year, without ever grabbing the headlines.  If ever there was a window through which to re-visit our collective responsibility to the people of Myanmar it is now.

“I want all HIV patients to be helped in the way that people have helped the Nargis cyclone victims.  When Nargis happened, people all over Myanmar and other nations came in to help. I want them to help HIV patients the same way”. Médecins Sans Frontières HIV patient

Médecins Sans Frontières in the Irrawaddy Delta

• Médecins Sans Frontières began its emergency intervention within 48 hours of the cyclone hitting Yangon
• Médecins Sans Frontières has assisted more than 550,000 people since that time
• Around 750 (rotating) staff has worked on the project, many of them national staff
• A total budget of 7, 918 099 Euro has been spent on directly supporting the intervention

Health

• 87,461 medical consultations held
• 36,278 nutritional screenings performed

• 21,597 people reached through psychosocial support

Water and Sanitation
567 water ponds and 670 wells have been repaired (in order to collect drinkable water)

Emergency Shelter
More than 145,000 pieces of plastic sheeting have been distributed (to provide emergency shelter)193,635 mosquito nets, 78,817 blankets, 7,815 toolkits,

Essential non-food item distribution
11,608 buckets, and 49,187 hygiene kits were distributed, amongst other essential items

Food Distribution
3,219100 Kg of rice, 745,083 KG of beans, 241,742 litres of oil, 41,519 KG of salt, and 513,641 cans of fish have been distributed

(Figures at the end of September 2008) 

* Government of the Union of Myanmar, Department of Health, 2007
** United Nations Development Programme, 2008
*** Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2008