Choice of health providers and health-seeking behaviour among forest goer population in Myanmar: findings from a cross-sectional household survey.

Background: In Myanmar, malaria still poses a significant burden for vulnerable populations particularly forest goers even though impressive progress has been made over the past decade. Limited evidence existed related to forest goers' health-seeking behaviour and factors that drive decision making for providers' choice to support national malaria programmes towards elimination. In response to that, this research is conducted to identify who they preferred and what are the factors associated with providers' choice in malaria febrile illness and Rapid Diagnostic Testing (RDT).

A comparison of malaria prevention behaviours, care-seeking practices and barriers between malaria at-risk worksite migrant workers and villagers in Northern Shan State, Myanmar-a mixed method study.

Background: Migrant populations are at an increased risk of exposure to malaria due to their nature of work and seasonal migration. This study aimed to compare malaria prevention behaviours and care-seeking practices among worksite migrant workers and villagers in the malaria-at-risk areas of Eastern Myanmar close to the China border.

Methods: A mixed method study was conducted in March 2019.

Identities and HIV-Related Risk Behaviors Among Transgender Women in Myanmar: Perspectives from Transgender Women and Service Providers.

In Myanmar, transgender women (TGW) have historically been grouped into the men who have sex with men (MSM) population in program and surveillance data. There is no direct translation for the term transgender in Myanmar language, and there are no data on HIV prevalence or HIV-related risk behaviors among TGW. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how TGW identify and express themselves in Myanmar and their HIV-related risk behaviors.

Motivation to test, treat, and report malaria cases: a quantitative assessment among private sector providers in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Background: Accurately testing, treating, and tracking all malaria cases is critical to achieving elimination. Ensuring health providers are able and motivated to test, treat, and report cases is a necessary component of elimination programmes, and particularly challenging in low endemic settings where providers may not encounter a large volume of cases. This study aimed to understand provider motivations to test, treat, and report malaria cases to better optimize programme design, adjust incentive schemes, and ultimately improve reporting rates while growing the evidence base around private providers in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

Effects of a new health financing scheme on out-of-pocket health expenditure: findings from a longitudinal household study in Yangon, Myanmar.

Since 2017, Population Services International Myanmar (PSI/Myanmar) has been running Strategic Purchasing (SP) clinics in Hlegu and Shwepyithar townships in Yangon, Myanmar. In the project, Population Services International Myanmar simulated the role of a purchaser and contracted SP clinics through a capitation payment scheme. The project aimed to reduce the health-related financial burden of poor populations in the catchment area, by having them registered under respective SP clinics for access to a package of essential health services for a minimal fixed co-payment, as a replacement for usual fee-for-service payments.

Role of small private drug shops in malaria and tuberculosis programs in Myanmar: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The role of community drug shops in providing primary care has been recognized as important in Myanmar as in other countries. The contribution by private community drug shops to National Tuberculosis case notifications and National Malaria testing and positive cases is significant. Population Services International Myanmar (PSI/Myanmar) has been successfully training and engaging community drug shops to screen presumptive Tuberculosis to make referrals to public health clinics and perform malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDT) to malaria fever cases and provide management accordingly.

The influence of a community-level breast-feeding promotion intervention programme on breast-feeding practices in Myanmar.

Objective: Breast-feeding in the first 6 months of life is critical for ensuring both child health and well-being. Despite efforts to improve breast-feeding practices, recent studies have reported that Myanmar continues to have low rates of exclusive breast-feeding.Design/Setting/SubjectsA community-based breast-feeding promotion programme using trained community members was implemented for 1 year in hard-to-reach townships of Myanmar.

Impact of a social franchise intervention program on the adoption of long and short acting family planning methods in hard to reach communities in Myanmar.

Myanmar has experienced slowly rising levels of contraceptive use in recent years. Between 2014 and 2016, Population Services International (PSI)/Myanmar implemented a multi-pronged intervention to increase contraceptive use by leveraging its social marketing clinics and providers, and providing additional community outreach. The aim of this study is to explore trends over time in contraceptive uptake and assess whether exposure to the PSI program was associated with women adopting a method.

Delivery and postpartum practices among new mothers in Laputta, Myanmar: intersecting traditional and modern practices and beliefs.

Myanmar is witnessing increased access to modern maternity care, along with shifting norms and practices. Past research has documented low rates of facility-based deliveries in the country, along with adverse maternal and child health outcomes. Research has also documented diverse traditional practices in the postpartum period, related to maternity care and maternal food intake.

Assessing Rates of Inadequate Feeding Practices Among Children 12-24 months: Results from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Myanmar.

Objectives To ensure proper nutrition and optimal health outcomes, it is critical that infants are exclusively breastfed (0-6 months) and then receive adequate feeding from 6-23 months (breastfeeding and frequent feedings of complementary foods). Despite policies and guidelines on adequate feeding in Myanmar, past research has found low rates of adequately fed infants 0-11 months and little is known about the adequacy of feeding practices for children 12-23 months. The aim of this study is to understand the feeding practices of children aged 0-24 months in Myanmar and maternal characteristics associated with adequate feeding practices.

Influence of internal migration on reproductive health in Myanmar: results from a recent cross-sectional survey.

Background: Maternal and reproductive health remains a significant public health issue in Myanmar. Little data exists on women's health issues, including social and demographic influences. While past studies have demonstrated rural/urban health disparities, an increasingly important population resulting from urban growth in Myanmar is the internal migrant population, individuals moving within the country for better job or educational opportunities.

Barriers to exclusive breastfeeding in the Ayeyarwaddy Region in Myanmar: Qualitative findings from mothers, grandmothers, and husbands.

Background: Myanmar has low rates of exclusive breastfeeding despite many decades of efforts to increase this practice. The purpose of this study is to examine the barriers to exclusive breastfeeding and how different household members participate in decision-making.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with mothers with an infant 6-12 months (24), and a subset of their husbands (10) and their mothers/mothers-in-laws (grandmothers) (10) in rural and urban areas of Laputta, Myanmar.