CPI Supports Universal Health Coverage Symposium at 47th Myanmar Health Research Congress

​On January 7th, 2019, around 200 people gathered at a symposium in Yangon to explore approaches to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Myanmar. The symposium, part of the 47th Myanmar Health Research Congress, was organized by the Department of Medical Research (DMR), the Ministry of Health and Sports (M0HS) and Community Partners International (CPI) to raise awareness of, and engagement with, efforts to achieve health for all in Myanmar.

The participants came from a variety of health-related sectors, including MoHS representatives, university researchers, hospital staff, and members of international and national non-governmental organizations and Myanmar civil society organizations (CSOs).

Titled ‘The Way Forward: Achieving UHC in Myanmar’, the symposium opened with a summary of the implementation progress of Myanmar’s National Health Plan, followed by presentations on using geospatial data to map unreached populations, the role of CSOs in achieving UHC and innovative approaches to strategic purchasing of health services in contested areas of Myanmar. The presentations were followed by a plenary session in which participants contributed to open discussions on ways forward for UHC in Myanmar.

The symposium provided a valuable opportunity for those attending to gain insight into the innovative approaches being taken by, and challenges facing, health providers in Myanmar as they seek to achieve UHC in Myanmar by 2030. It also provided an opportunity for participants from a wide range of health-related background and organizations to share ideas and network together.

CPI supported and helped organize this symposium as part of broader efforts to build understanding, consensus and cooperation among diverse stakeholders in Myanmar involved in the achievement of UHC. This action was supported through CPI’s Better Health Together project funded by the Open Society Foundations.