A Leadership Development Plan Of Health Professions Education Institution To Address Health Inequities In Myanmar

Authors

  • Naing Oo Tha TUFH

Keywords:

Health equity, leadership, Health Professions Education, Education Innovation, Myanmar, Transformational leadership

Abstract

Myanmar is a rural and ethnically diverse country of extreme poverty, with one of the most poorly funded state health-care systems in the world. The 2020 census confirmed a population of 54.4 million people, and a maternal mortality ratio of 250 per 100,000 livebirths in 2017 (Bank 2020). The gap in life expectancy starkly illustrates this, with a range of 11 years between the highest and lowest values across Myanmar. Myanmar is prone to natural disasters, has a longstanding civil war during which human rights abuse and violence were and are commonplace, and the education system has an unstable infrastructure. (Lancet 2015). Myanmar is undergoing a complex political and economic transformation, from a long civil war and military regime to a peace process and democratization. Since 2011, the Myanmar Ministry of Health has started to rehabilitate the fragile health system, setting the goal of achieving universal health coverage by 2030. To achieve this target, Myanmar will have to face substantial challenges; arguably one of the most important difficulties is how to allocate limited health-care resources equitably and effectively. Attention to the most vulnerable people would substantially improve national health outcomes. Myanmar is a country in which people’s access to health services is determined more by where they live than their need for care, a situation that is fundamentally inequitable. The challenge is to reduce levels of inequity between different groups in the population and different geographical areas including minorities and those living in conflict-affected areas. Reducing health inequity should be declared a national health priority. This will require that both officials and the public become aware of what needs to be done to close the equity gap (Sein, Myint, and Cassels 2015). Crafting policies to mitigate rather than exacerbate health disparities needs professional and innovative leadership (Zaw et al. 2015). Producing and utilization of qualified professionals for health services, accredited transformed curriculum and quality health professionals can strengthen the health system (Reeve et al. 2017). The traditional “ivory tower” model of medical education is failing to meet the health and social needs of the underserved (Neusy and Palsdottir 2011). Communities can be mobilized and supported to take responsibility for their own health and promote health-seeking behaviour, becoming partners in developing solutions to their health challenges (Neusy and Palsdottir 2011). Transformational leadership change and developing new health professions education institution with appropriate transforming curriculum in global trend is crucial to solve the health inequity in Myanmar.

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Published

2022-08-10

How to Cite

Oo Tha, N. (2022). A Leadership Development Plan Of Health Professions Education Institution To Address Health Inequities In Myanmar. Social Innovations Journal, 14(4). Retrieved from https://socialinnovationsjournal.com/index.php/sij/article/view/3497