UNFPA and the Ministry of Health embarked on a three day monitoring mission to Magway and Nay Pyi Taw region from 17-19 September 2014, to assess progress on various sexual reproductive health maternal health, youth, Census and HIV/AIDS prevention supported projects and trainings in the region.
UNFPA is working closely with the Ministry of Health and other implementing partners targeting 89 townships in 7 States and Regions providing life-saving reproductive health services and training.
“Together we support with health related issues such as maternal health making pregnancies safer and to ensure that deliveries are carried out by a skilled birth attendant. This is in addition to providing family planning commodities as well as services to the people,” said Dr Hla Hla Aye, UNFPA Assistant Representative of Myanmar.
Over the three day mission the team visited the Midwife Training Centre in Magway region, which is one of the 46 training schools in Myanmar. During their two years training, midwives studying for a midwifery diploma receive hands on experience on how to deal with issues such as antenatal, delivery and post natal care, emergency obstetric care, family planning, post-abortion care, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, basic health care and other life-saving skills.
Ma Htay Htay Aung, a second year midwifery trainee student studying for a midwifery diploma from Paung Ka Lay village is currently attending the midwife training. Topics covered in the first year of the course included maternity, child, pharmacology, mental and behavior science. Now in her second year Ma Htay Htay Aung is currently learning about issues related to gynecology.
When asked why Ma Htay Htat Aung wanted to become a midwife she said that “I want to become a midwife because when I was a child I looked up to the midwife in my village and I wanted to be just like her. She was very skillful in terms of theoretical and practical skills as well providing excellent maternal and child health care. Even now the mortality rate of mothers and newborns is low in the villages where she works.”
The team also paid a visit to the Magway Sexual Transmitted Infections (STI) clinic which focuses on protection and prevention of HIV, STI and unwanted pregnancies. The centre is also collaborating with UNFPA, the Global Fund and PSI distributing condoms as part of the Comprehensive Condom Programme (CCP). Since early 2013 the condom programme is covering 79 townships throughout the country and will be handing out a total of 30 million condoms.
On a nation-wide scale UNFPA also provides, through its HIV prevention projects and in cooperation with the National AIDS Programme support and stigma free places to be for sexually infected diseases and HIV in confidence, HIV and reproductive health screening services as well as antiretroviral treatment drugs and other universal precaution material, as well as training and social support
