MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Short introductory statement by Dr Myint Htwe, Union Minister for Health and Sports, Myanmar, at the Ministerial Event on
“Towards Universal Coverage with HIV Prevention Services and Commodities – the Global Prevention Coalition and Roadmap ”,
organized by the delegations of Benin (on behalf of African Group), Botswana, Canada, China, Ecuador, Germany,
Ghana Haiti, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kenya, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mexico, Mozambique,
Panama, Rwanda, Swaziland, Uganda, Ukraine, The United Kingdom of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland,
and Zimbabwe at the 71st World Health Assembly, 21-26 May 2018, Geneva, Switzerland

22nd May 2018, Palais des Nations

Urgently Expanding HIV Prevention in Myanmar
Fellow Honorable Ministers,
Honorable Minister of Health and Child Welfare of Zimbabwe
Cabinet Secretary of Health of Kenya,
WHO Director-General,
UNAIDS Executive Director,
high level officials from WHO, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my distinct privilege to announce that my country “The Republic of the Union of Myanmar hereby joins the “Global HIV Prevention Coalition””
Myanmar is committed to UHC through implementation of our National Health Plan 2017-21.
The main goal of NHP is to extend Essential Package of Health Services including HIV prevention and control services to population living in all parts of country.
We strongly support the global push towards universal coverage of HIV prevention services and commodities.
Likewise, without reservation, we support this “Global HIV Prevention and Coalition” and its roadmap to accelerate HIV prevention.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Myanmar faced three decades of HIV epidemics. It was found to be concentrated among certain population subgroups with high risk behavior in various regions of the country.
This concentration pattern varies from region to region in my country and also differs from specific population groups. Some regions have problems with IDU and some regions have problems with MSM and FSW. It, therefore, calls for identifying different strategic approaches in line with the changing epidemiological and sociological situations.
We also noticed that HIV/AIDS epidemiological and sociological changes are always is a state of flux. Therefore, health system must be responsive to cater to the changing need of the time and conditions.
Given the epidemic dynamics that we are facing, we are developing a sub-national plan tailored to the specific need of the epidemic at various regions in the country.
In line with the principle of universal coverage and based on the changing HIV epidemic pattern, we are focusing on applying different strategies to contain the situation to the extent possible with the available budget and human resource for health.
We have reduced the incidence rate of HIV among 15-19 years old by more than 50% over the last decades. The rate of decline is lower more than in previous decades. That is natural. To reduce high rate is easy but to further reduce, when the rate is at the lower level, is difficult.
However, we will try our level best to further reduce it with full support and guidance from Global Fund, UNAIDS, WHO and like-minded organizations, and especially with CBO and local communities and PLHIV/AIDS.
In conclusion, I must want to mention that we are creating an enabling environment for providing continuous effort for removing legal, stigmatizing factors and financial barriers to help achieve “AIDS Free Myanmar”.
We also profusely thank Global Fund, UNAIDS, WHO, and like-minded organizations, and collaborating countries for reaching our shared goals of reducing the HIV/AIDS problem in the world.
We believe that much can be achieved in partnership towards our common goal of “Achieving universal coverage of HIV prevention services and commodities”

Thank you.