On December 5, 2023, Xu Ming, director of the Department of Global Health of the School of Public Health of Peking University, and the research team were invited to attend the first Myanmar Public Health Conference, and investigated the status quo of malaria epidemic and prevention and control in Myanmar.
The Myanmar Public Health Conference is the first national public health conference hosted by the Ministry of Health of Myanmar, attended by about 2,000 officials and health workers from the Myanmar health system, as well as more than 30 international scholars from 19 countries and international organizations. With the theme of "Public Health: Promoting longevity and health of the people", the meeting discussed infectious diseases and chronic diseases, maternal and child health, healthy aging, digital health and health informatization, and resilience building of the public health system. Researcher Huang Yangmu and Postdoctoral researcher Zhou Shuduo were invited to give reports on the Implementation and Effect of China's Child Nutrition Kit Program and China's Practice and Experience in coping with the Novel Coronavirus epidemic, which aroused extensive discussions among participants.
Huang Yangmu and the research team were invited to visit the Myanmar National Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the medical Training Center built with China's assistance, and exchanged in-depth views on the construction progress of the center, future planning, and the focus and direction of China's assistance.
During the investigation of the malaria epidemic and prevention and control status in Myanmar, Director Xu Ming and the research team first visited the Ministry of Health and met with Deputy Minister of Health Aye Tun and Director of the Department of Public Health Myint Myint Than to discuss matters such as malaria prevention and control, nutrition intervention, and China-Asean public health cooperation between Peking University and the Ministry of Health of Myanmar. During this period, the research team conducted an in-depth interview with the Myanmar National Malaria Program Manager to understand the overall situation of malaria control in Myanmar.
In Yangon, the research team has visited the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, WHO Yangon Office, UNOPS Yangon Office, First Yangon Medical University, University of Public Health, Health Action for Poverty Alleviation Yangon Office, Clinton Health Initiative Yangon Office, URC Yangon Office, Save the Children Yangon Office, Sun Community Health Organization and other organizations. Expert Saw Lwin (Myanmar Malaria Strategy Expert) conducted in-depth interviews with relevant officials to conduct in-depth research on accelerating malaria prevention and control and elimination in Myanmar. Through in-depth personal interviews and expert panel discussions, the research team gained insight into the current status of the malaria epidemic in Myanmar, the obstacles and challenges in the implementation of existing intervention strategies, and the role that China can play in the future.