Myanmar has planned to achieve the universal health coverage by 2030. Though there were efforts to improve the coverage for health service, the progress is challenging together with political instability.
As per assessment Progress towards universal health coverage in Myanmar (Su Myat Han, 2018), previous government has recognized the needs in accessible health service provision and affordability. At both national and subnational levels, it included comprehensive assessment of health service coverage and financial risk protection. It also highlights the variations and inequalities and health service coverage and health payments. This identification helps to address the specific needs of vulnerable populations in targeted intervention and resource allocation.
Weakness includes the coverage is below the target of UHC in Myanmar which is 80% which indicates the need of significant improvements the accessible and available health service throughout the country. Large proportion of population are facing catastrophic payments for healthcare service highlighting the requirement of better financial risk protection system. Different regions also show inequalities in coverage for health service, and we need to tailor the interventions to meet the specific needs.
To be more effective the UHC in Myanmar, we can consider the following actions:
– Investing in infrastructure, capacity building of the health care professional, continuous supply of medical equipment and commodities to improve the quality healthcare services.
– Implementing the strong financial system for health insurance to reduce the financial burden.
– Focusing on reaching the disadvantage populations from remote areas to ensure the equitable access to healthcare.
– Promoting the awareness program for prevention, early detection and health seeking behavior to enhance the health literacy and health outcomes.