Country profile

Myanmar      New Zealand Capital Yangon Wellington Population 50.5 million 4.1 million Official language/s Burmese English and Maori Per capita income US$220 US$27,250 NZ$1=US$0.70 NZ$300 NZ$38,928 Life expectancy 61 years 80 years Under 5 mortality rate 105/1000 5/1000 Adult literacy 90% 99% (Source: UNICEF The State of the World's Children 2008)

People
Most people live in the lowland regions of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawady) River valley, a large rice-growing region. Of the many different ethnic groups, Burman is the largest, but Karen, Rakhene, Chinese, Indian and Mon also have significant populations. Burmese is the major and official language, however there are more than 100 languages spoken in the country.

Myanmar is predominantly Buddhist, although there is widespread belief in “Nats”, which are spirits of forests, mountains and trees.

Geography
Mountains surround Myanmar’s central basin region to the north, west and east and rise along the Thai border. Forests cover more than half the country’s land area. There are three seasons: a cool, dry winter from November to February; summer from March to May; and the monsoon season from June to October.

Economy
Approximately two thirds of the population is employed in agriculture, with less than 10 per cent in manufacturing. Myanmar exports manufactured clothing, hardwoods and wood products, fish, processed fish products and crops such as rice, beans and pulses. The country was once known as the rice bowl of Asia, but expansion of the agricultural sector has not kept up with the growth in population. Now most rice grown in the country is consumed locally.

Lack of industrial growth and migration from rural villages have contributed to a rapid rise in urban poor. Many of the resettlement areas or satellite towns have very few employment opportunities and the majority of households live on causal day-labour wages.

Agriculture
Along with rice, other subsistence crops include groundnuts, pulses, beans and sugar cane. Production losses caused by floods, drought, poor agricultural inputs or trade restrictions have resulted in increased poverty in rural areas.

Much of the world’s illicit opium is grown in northern Myanmar, making it the world's second-largest producer. The government is trying to stop this trade by introducing other profitable crops or forms of work for the hill tribe farmers who produce it. Since 1996, cultivation of opium poppies has decreased by 73 per cent.

Education
Declining resources in formal education have reduced the availability of teaching aids and textbooks, contributing to understaffing and overcrowding. Since 1987, the higher education system has been disrupted by regular closures. The majority of universities have been closed periodically since 1996.

Health
Although Myanmar’s primary healthcare infrastructure is improving gradually, only 60 per cent of the country is believed to have access to a full array of services. Poor nutrition, the use of polluted water and unsanitary methods of waste disposal result in a high incidence of illness, absenteeism from work and low productivity.

Myanmar’s deteriorating economy and its proximity to the Thai border expose girls and women to sex trafficking. Many of these girls and women work in the border areas of Thailand, then return to their villages in Myanmar, contributing to the country’s burgeoning HIV and AIDS problem.

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Myanmar COUNTRY UPDATE

CLEAN WATER

“Water… Not necessary to life, but rather life itself, thou fillest us with a gratification that exceeds the delight of the senses.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Wind, Sand and Stars, 1939

Each April, people in Myanmar mark the arrival of their new year with refreshing showers of water. Young, old, rich, poor – everyone joins in the fun. This annual event, known as Thingyan or the water festival, belies the lack of access to safe water faced by many people.

Officially, more than three quarters of Myanmar’s population obtain their water from sources that are free of contaminants. However, in communities where World Vision works, as many as 80 per cent of families are unable to easily obtain enough safe water.

As people in Myanmar have little understanding of the health hazards of drinking unsafe water, it is common to collect water from streams, stagnant ponds and wells that are unprotected and shallow. On top of the risk of disease, arsenic has been discovered in aquifers near the vast Ayeyarwady river, threatening people with poisoning.

In urban areas, families often have to purchase water, putting pressure on their limited resources. It is said that while the rich buy commercially bottled water, poorer families may spend as much money purchasing water of dubious quality.

Poor hygiene and sanitation are also problems. Many families can only collect enough water to drink, leaving none to use for personal hygiene.

The monsoon climate brings additional challenges. During the rainy season, low-lying areas are flooded with dirty water, spreading bacteria to streams, ponds and unprotected wells. In the dry season these sources dry up, forcing people to spend even longer travelling to collect water which may be unhealthy.

The combined effects of contamination, water shortage and poor sanitation mean that water-borne illnesses, which can cause diarrhoea, and skin diseases, including scabies, affect a lot of people, especially children.

World Vision is helping urban and rural communities near Myeik city to improve access to water, reduce water-borne and skin diseases and deal with their root causes, through Myeik Area Development Programme (ADP). Myeik ADP digs wells and protects them from contamination. It works with an environmental health committee, made up of community members, to teach people about hygiene and the risks of drinking dirty water. Committee members teach people to use sanitary latrines and help them establish their own latrines using materials provided by World Vision. Community members also construct water sources and latrines at schools and vocational training centres with World Vision support.

With access to safe water and knowledge of how to manage it, the people of Myeik should be able to maintain clean water sources and reduce the incidence of water-related diseases – something they can celebrate year round.

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