Karen Department of Health and Welfare
​Emergency Field Medics

Southeast Myanmar is gradually emerging from more than six decades of civil war and is one of the most landmine-contaminated regions in the world. Ensuring that basic emergency care is available to conflict-affected and hard-to-reach populations in this region is a significant challenge. Mobile 'backpack' medic teams operated by community-based organizations have demonstrated remarkable success in providing lifesaving health care in this low-resource context. 

The field medics of the Karen Department of Health and Welfare, an ethnic health organization operating in Southeast Myanmar, provide trauma care and medical first response to more than 75,0000 people in over 200 villages in this region. Through a longstanding partnership, experienced Emergency Medicine physicians in the United States conduct annual Trauma and Emergency Management workshops for these 'backpack' medics. Held every year since 2000, the workshops cover a wide range of key trauma and emergency management topics including obstetric and pediatric emergencies, bleeding management, suturing, fractures, dislocations and splinting, shock and field surgery practice. Over the years, the training content has been honed to suit the mobile, low-resource context that these medics operate in, and updated to meet the changing context and needs. Funds donated to this project will support the annual training workshop and the supplies and equipment that the emergency medics need.

​Community Partners International provides fiscal sponsorship to the Karen Department of Health and Welfare. Please use the form below to make a donation. You will receive a tax receipt for this donation from Community Partners International.

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