Myanmar Transforming Faces

Myanmar

Fast Facts

COUNTRY PROFILE

  • Population: 52.9 million
  • Partner: Northern Women’s Development Foundation (NWDF)
  • Partner since: 2017

PROGRAM FOCUS

  • Working to ensure comprehensive cleft care services are available to children and families in the country, and bringing speech therapy closer to patients’ homes through mobile and community-based speech camps
  • Collaborating with local health and community centres within the region to share information about cleft lip and palate, and ensure communities know where and how to access treatment
  • Ensuring nutritional support is available to high-risk newborns and infants

RECENT SUCCESSES

  • NWDF is working to expand in-country treatment options for children from Myanmar by partnering with a local dentist and rolling out tele-speech therapy to reach patients closer to home.
  • In 2020, 65 families received care in partnership with NWDF

KEY CHALLENGES

  • Long travel distances: Many families have to travel for three to four days from rural communities to reach care
  • Challenges in accessing care: Due to language barriers, poor road conditions, lack of locally available services and periodic natural disasters
  • Shortage of cleft professionals in country: Families continue to rely on Thai professionals for many services

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Program Updates