This report is prepared for the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The National Popuiation Committee, headed by the Director General of Immigration and Manpower Department (IMD) with members from the Institute of Economics, Ministry of Education, the Department of Health, and the Department of Planning and Statistics, Ministry of Health and the Assistant Director from IMD acting as secretary, is formed for the preparation of this report.

Myanmar being one of the signatories in International Conference on Population Development (ICPD, 1994), the Government of the Union of Myanmar has put much emphasis in improving reproductive health status of the nation as a whole. The National Health Committee and Ministry of Health acknowledge the importance of delivering high quality care towards making sound reproductive health a reality for all. Based upon the available information concerning reproductive health in Myanmar, it is principally accepted that there is a large need and much more room for improvement. It is our strong belief that only with the benefit of a comprehensive assessment of the reproductive health situation, the strategies and interventions could be developed and improved.

The 2001 Fertility and Reproductive Health Survey (FRHS) is the third survey to obtain detailed information on demography and reproductive health in Myanmar. The first survey was 1991 Population Changes and Fertility Survey (PCFS) and the second was the 1997 FRHS.
This Preliminary Report is the first report of 2001 FRHS to provide policymakers, programme managers, international organizations, NGOs and scholars timely and reliable detailed but brief information on fertility, contraception, maternal and child health, infant and child mortality, knowledge of STDs and HIV/AIDS and internal migration in Myanmar. Two more detailed reports are planned to supplement this one: comprehensive Country Report (main survey report) and Report on Detailed Analysis of Trends and Patterns on selected topics.

The HIV epidemics in Myanmar remain largely concentrated among people identified with high-risk behaviours, in particular sex workers and their clients, injecting drug users and men having sex with men; and populations identified as highly vulnerable on the basis of their young age, gender, mobility and social or occupational characteristics.

On 2 and 3 May 2008, Cyclone Nargis struck the delta coastal area of Myanmar before moving inland across the Ayeyarwady and southern Yangon Divisions. In the Delta, wind speeds reached 240 km/h, and the southern part of the Delta experienced a 3-4 metre high storm surge. Cyclone Nargis caused extensive loss of life and physical damage: an estimated 84,537 people died, another 53,836 went missing, and 33,754 suffered injuries. One-third of the estimated total population of 7.35 million people in the area impacted by the cyclone suffered severe losses.

The Operational Plan, using the National Strategic Plan as a guide for decisions on priorities and scaling up, provides a range of products associated with the planning, monitoring and implementation that require the input and involvement of many different stakeholders. A NSP flow-chart has been developed to clearly identify the steps, timing, and actors responsible for leading and/or being involved in processes.

“We have read the science. Global warming is real, and we are a prime cause. . . . We must set an agenda—create a roadmap to the future, coupled with a timeline that produces a deal by 2009. In this, it helps to have a vision of how the future might look if we succeed.” — BAN Ki-moon  

This is the fourth edition of the Youth Supplement to UNFPA’s State of the World Population Report. This Youth Supplement addresses climate change and young people, through the lens of what impact climate change is predicted to have, and what that will mean for young people’s lives, livelihoods, health, rights and development. The Youth Supplement explores these issues because the young people of today will be standing in the frontline in the coming decades, meeting the challenges posed by climate change. As the Youth Supplement shows, young people will be dealing with the threats and opportunities of climate change whether they choose to do so or are forced to do so, and whether they like it or not. Some of the young people featured in the Youth Supplement have started their passage to adulthood with a strong interest in something completely different, but having identified the issue of climate change and realized how it relates to their lives and communities, they shifted their focus.

NFPA Myanmar supported and organized an independent situation analysis for population and development, reproductive health and gender in Myanmar. A participatory approach was used in coordination and consultation with the UNFPA country office in Myanmar as well as UNFPA’s Asia Pacific Regional Office. Inputs were made by implementing partners and stakeholders such as MOH, MNPED, MOIP, MOSWRR, UN agencies including WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNAIDS, IOM & UNIAP, as well as various INGOs and NGOs. It was undertaken from July 2009 to July 2010.

Objectives of the Situation Analysis

The objectives of the Situation Analysis are as follows:

• Guide to development of UNFPA’s programme of assistance and other programmes
• Inputs for reviewing progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and ICPD Programme of Action, as well as other international conferences and conventions.
• Inputs for formulation of population policy, directives and plans
• Basis for resource allocation, coordination and partnerships in the field of population, reproductive health and gender

The Situation Analysis has identified critical national needs and priorities in population and development, reproductive health and gender. It contains analysis using causal analysis, stakeholder analysis and capacity analysis, and it includes strategic recommendations for policies, strategies, plans and programmes. In addition, the SA contains recommendations on the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders (government, NGOs, UN, donors) in order to achieve productive partnerships and external cooperation. This situation analysis was conducted to identify gaps and develop strategic recommendations, which will feed into the UN strategic framework and to the various UN agencies’ programming.

Executive Summary

This situation analysis aims to analyse the situation of population and development, reproductive health and gender in Myanmar and their linkages, to serve as a reference for informing policy makers and programme planners from both the government and the international community involved in protecting the rights and improving the lives of Myanmar’s population and furthering sustainable development. The situation analysis (SA) has been conducted by an independent team, which was supported by UNFPA. It was carried out between the period of July 2009 to July 2010, using a lifecycle perspective to understand the totality of population, the forces that contribute towards development and their interrelations with reproductive health and gender. Existing causalities between the issues of population development, reproductive health and gender require a holistic approach that unifies many sectoral and contextual issues.

Myanmar is committed to the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) programme of action and also to fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Read more...

On behalf of the Gender Theme Group, it is my pleasure to present the United Nations and Partners at Work - Gender Briefing Kit, which highlights the important roles held by women and girls in Myanmar, and the need for balanced gender relations to further development. The Millennium Declaration of 2000 reaffirmed gender equality and women\'s empowerment as critical to achieving the eight-targeted Millennium Development Goals by 2015. With only five years remaining to fulfil this promise, this kit serves as a timely reminder to stakeholders of the value of adopting approaches to mainstream a gender perspective into all policies and programmes.

EDITORIAL

On behalf of the UNFPA team in Myanmar, I am pleased to present the second annual edition of this newsletter, which updates readers on UNFPA’s mission and its endeavours in the country. The year 2010 has been quite challenging, but equally rewarding. Important events took place globally, especially the Millennium Development Goals MDG 10 summit and the 15^th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, which had implications at the regional and country levels.

Download here.

The 2007 Fertility and Reproductive Health Survey (FRHS) is the fourth in a series of demographic surveys taken at five-year intervals since 1991 to measure trends in demographic and other indicators. The first demographic survey was Population Changes and Fertility Survey (PCFS) conducted in 1991 and, the second and third surveys were Fertility and Reproductive Health Surveys (FRHS) conducted in 1997 and 2001 respectively.  All these surveys were conducted by the Department of Population with financial and technical assistance from UNFPA.