What is healthcare in Burma like?

Facilities and Health Information:

We highly recommend that you share your travel plans with your doctor so that you can best prepare for the endemic health-related challenges that confront travelers in Burma. Most medical facilities in Burma are inadequate for even routine medical care. There are very few medical personnel in Burma who are trained to U.S. standards. You should also know that, in an emergency, you would likely need to be medically evacuated to a hospital outside Burma. Medical evacuation from Burma is expensive and is transacted in cash. We strongly urge all travelers to secure medical evacuation insurance before coming to Burma. Most pharmaceuticals on sale in Burma have been smuggled into the country, and many are counterfeit or adulterated. Travelers should consider Burmese pharmaceuticals generally unsafe to use and should accordingly bring adequate supplies of their medications for the duration of their stay in Burma. All travelers are advised to bring a complete and detailed list of regularly used medicine, and dosages, in case of an emergency. HIV/AIDS is widespread among high-risk populations, such as prostitutes and illegal drug users. Malaria, dengue fever, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases are endemic in many parts of the country.

In early 2006 throughout 2007, and again in early 2010, brief avian influenza outbreaks resulted in the death of domestic poultry and some wild birds. In December 2007, the World Health Organization and Burmese Ministry of Health confirmed Burma’s first case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. If you travel to Burma and other South Asian countries affected by avian influenza, we caution you to avoid poultry farms, contact with animals in live food markets, and any other surfaces that appear to be contaminated with feces from poultry or other animals. There were no reported human cases on H5N1 in Burma during the 2010 outbreaks.

Drinking Water Source - % of rural population improved"

81.1%

Drinking Water Source - % of total population unimproved:

14.3%

Drinking Water Source - % of urban population improved:

94.8%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.6%

Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population:

People Living with HIV/AIDS:

240,000

Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population:

Diseases - note:

highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds

Sanitation Facility Access - % of total population unimproved:

22.6%

Sanitation Facility Access - % of urban population improved:

84.3%

Sanitation Facitlity Access - % of rural population improved:

73.9%

Infectious Diseases - degree of risk:

very high

Animal Contact Disease (s):

rabies

Food or Waterborne Disease (s):

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne Disease (s):

dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis

Water contact disease (s):

leptospirosis

Disclaimer

You are responsible for ensuring that you meet and comply with foreign entry requirements, health requirements and that you possess the appropriate travel documents. Information provided is subject to change without notice. One should confirm content prior to traveling from other reliable sources. Information published on this website may contain errors. You travel at your own risk and no warranties or guarantees are provided by us.

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