Prior to the arrival of Total, health conditions in the region were poor,
with a high infant mortality rate, widespread malaria, tuberculosis and
substandard water quality, resulting in extensive intestinal infections, poor
hygiene and other difficulties. Medical staff was minimal and the only
infrastructure was a rural hospital in Kanbauk that lacked resources or even a
permanent physician, while knowledge of the actual health situation was
negligible.
The
SEP's health priority was to reduce the main causes of mortality in
the region by providing the requisite facilities, establishing immunization
programs, introducing free medical supervision for the villagers, and
improving
hygiene. These initiatives, which were funded by the pipeline project
investors, were carried out in close collaboration with the Myanmar
health authorities.
The main health facility in the area is the Kanbauk hospital which was renovated and equipped with the appropriate resources; it was extended in 2006, with a new out-patient department,and an isolation ward, plus a maternity ward under construction. The hospital’s capacity rose from 28 to 48 beds. With advice and support from the SE program, the villagers were encouraged to build their own village health clinic. 18 such clinics are now managed by the community health staff. The program trains the auxiliary midwives and the health workers who, during the absence of the doctor, can diagnose and cure all common diseases. Specific cases are referred either to the on-duty doctor or to Kanbauk hospital.
In 2006, the auxiliary midwives assisted the birth of 184 babies.
Achievements in 2006:
 |
 |
|
97,173 free medical consultations (over 708,173 since 1997, see table
below). |
|
|
|
9,975 vaccinations (children, pregnant women) and over 6,000 tetanus vaccinations (women aged 15+). |
Assistance was secured from the Pasteur Institute in France to combat endemic
malaria, enabling definition of the appropriate tools and treatments, in
cooperation with Myanmar's Department of Medical Research. Each health center
has immuno-chromatographic test (ICT) facilities and microscopes for quick
diagnosis of the disease.
Malaria remains one of the health preoccupations in the area. 83% of the 3746 analyses conducted in the Kanbauk hospital laboratory concern malaria.
Twice a year, Red Cross members, the fire fighting team, the village auxiliary midwives, the health workers and the SE doctors organize the impregnation of villagers’s bed nets. A total of 5,235 mosquito bed nets were thus treated in 2006 (covering 13,667 villagers).
The immunization program targets a number of illnesses, including
tuberculosis (BCG vaccine), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP vaccine), polio
(OPV vaccine), measles (MS vaccine), hepatitis B and tetanus (TT vaccine for
pregnant women).
 Hygiene
initiatives cover three areas: health education, public
facilities and drinking water supply. Health education
includes advice provided by the
physicians and health care workers and information meetings held for
nearly 750 to 1,200 people a month. Over 2,200 of
these meetings were held between May 1998 and
the end of 2006 (13,234 villagers attended 317 of such meetings in 2006). The meetings covered bird flu, antenatal care, water/food borne disease, etc.. Since 2005, a special focus is given to awareness on HIV/AIDS with an additional 67 meetings gathering 1,691 villagers in 2006.
Hygiene facilities include the supply of flyproof
latrines(4,371 at end 2006), sewage systems in the schools and equipment
to collect waste in the villages.
Drinking water quality has been improved by drilling
or renovating some 1,146 wells at the end of 2006, adding concrete boundaries,
cleaning and chlorinating them twice a month,
and by piping water from the hills.
Medical care combined with health measures has led to a sharp decline in
mortality throughout the region. |
Health measures undertaken in the region include family planning,
respectful of local customs, for married women aged 18 or older and
volunteers.
Consultations were provided for over 2,600 women from 25 villages.
Children also benefit from health programs. A yearly medical check-up has been implemented in schools since 1997 and in 2006, covered 96% of this population focusing on eyesight control and a de-worming program for nearby 6,000 children. As for elderly people, half of them aged 60 or more, were monitored and treated for hypertension, heart conditions, joint problems and mental problems.
The Eastern part of the pipeline area faced an outbreak of dengue hemorrhagic fever in early monsoon season in 2006. All health personnel and local authorities immediately organized preventive measures, mass health talks and distribution of treatments. This tremendous effort helped quickly eradicate the outbreak though two deaths were to be deplored.
