Govts agree to boost health near border

Govts agree to boost health near border

Published on Monday, 23 September 2013 11:51

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Mandalay, Myanmar

MOU with Myanmar on collaboration

More than a million people living along the borders of Thailand and Myanmar will soon get better access to medical treatment, as governments from both countries team up to improve public health services.

Thai Public Health Minister Pradith Sinthawanarong, who led a group of 60 health officials to visit Myanmar, signed a Memorandum of Understanding last week on Health Cooperation between Thailand and Myanmar, which will be implemented over the next five years.

Under this collaboration, Pradith said both countries would help each other to strengthen health and promote programmes on disease surveillance, substandard food and drugs, traditional medicine, medical and cosmetic products, communicable and emerging infectious diseases - especially cross-border disease outbreaks, and health service development for migrant workers and the cross-border population.

Public health officials from both countries would also share information and build the capacity to deal with health problems.

Thai Public Health Ministry's deputy permanent secretary, Dr Chanvit Tharathep, said both countries also agreed to make a joint action plan during 2013-2015, which will focus on disease surveillance, prevention and control along the border, as well as a "drug resistance" surveillance system - especially for HIV/Aids, malaria, and tuberculosis. Small-scale laboratories would be set up in four towns in Myanmar - Tachilek, Myawaddy, Dawei and Koh Song - to help probe the spread of counterfeit medicines along the border, Chanvit said.

And health officials in both countries would rehearse for emergency responses to handle re-emerging diseases and new diseases.

A cross-border referral system would be set up to help patients get better medical treatment at excellent healthcare units located along the border. 

The Public Health Ministries of both counties agreed to train volunteers to provide healthcare services for the area. 

They also will conduct research to develop and improve the making of traditional medicine as well as health promotion programmes for teenagers, young students, and the elderly. 

The Thai Public Health Ministry says about 1.6 million people estimated to live in 16 townships in Myanmar along the 2,400-kilometre border with Thailand will benefit from this collaboration.

Myanmar Public Health Minister Prof Pe Thet Khin said Myanmar faced a drug resistance problem for malaria, HIV/Aids and tuberculosis along the border. Collaboration would improve not only healthcare prevention and promotion programmes, but also help Myanmar to control the spread of communicable and non-communicable diseases in urban areas as well. 

Myanmar has committed to establishing universal healthcare and the government is now drawing up a "road map" to start a health insurance scheme. It is expected to start national health scheme over the next 20 years.

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/govts-agree-to-boost-health-near-border-2/