Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma is in the midst of a critical period of political and socio-economic transition. Lasting legacies of British colonial rule, followed by Japanese occupation, a long period of military dictatorship and decades of civil and ethnic conflict have had drastic impacts on many social determinants of health, health system functioning and overall health outcomes in the country. Recent elections in November 2015, however, saw the National League for Democracy win an absolute majority in one of only three openly contested democratic elections in the last fifty years. The potential for structural change in the country's healthcare system during this transition is significant, and provides unprecedented possibilities for improving upon the complex health and health equity issues faced in the country. This paper will provide a systematic overview of strengths and weaknesses of the system, in attempts to identify key opportunities for healthcare system strengthening in the country. Special focus will be given to rural populations and marginalized ethnic minority groups who are not currently considered in the state system. This paper fits within the conference's overarching theme of Resilience and responsive health systems for a changing world and addresses components of several sub-themes: Enhancing health system resilience, Equity rights, gender and ethics, and Engaging power and politics in promoting health and public value.