Myanmar

Yangon Children’s Hospital and Mandalay Children’s Hospital have the only dedicated children’s cancer units in Myanmar.

Programme Centre

Yangon Children’s Hospital, Yangon

Mandalay Children's Hospital, Mandalay

Twinning Centres

Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
Dana Farber/Childrens Hospital Boston, USA

Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK

Programme Lead

Dr Aye Aye Khaing

Twinning Leads

Dr Robert Carr (UK)
Denise Williams (UK) & Lisa Morrissey (USA)

Contact

Dr. Tin Tun Naing

Programme Coordinator

Start Date

June 2014

Background
Problems
Key Activities

Approximately 2,000 children are expected to develop cancer each year in Myanmar. Due to a lack of awareness of childhood cancer, an inability to accurately diagnose cases and the prohibitive cost of transport, the number of newly diagnosed cases is far lower than expected for the country. In addition to this, many families take their children home early before finishing treatment because of the financial burden of treatment and long stays in hospital. There are only two centres with dedicated children’s cancer departments; Yangon Children’s Hospital and Mandalay Children’s Hospital.

A lack of reliable childhood cancer data in Myanmar
Little or no specialist training for healthcare professionals
Poor diagnostic facilities
Late diagnosis, with children presenting with an advanced stage of disease
A lack of access or funding for chemotherapy or supportive care medicines
Basic palliative care service for children
Abandonment of treatment, often due to financial burden
Little awareness of childhood cancer among the public or healthcare professionals
Limited psycho-social care for patients, families or staff

No child should suffer
- Training and mentoring key health staff in Myanmar’s two childhood cancer units
- Providing essential equipment and staff support
No-one left undiagnosed
- Training healthcare professionals to recognise the early warning signs and symptoms of childhood cancer
- Providing patient transport grants
Helping families
- Assisting families with the costs of transport and treatment
- Offering psychosocial support and education through counselling sessions and the hospital school
The world must know
- Regular advocacy to engage policy-makers and local government

Facts and Stats

,000

New cases of childhood cancer expected in Myanmar each year
580

Children diagnosed with cancer each year at the Children's Hospitals in both Yangon and Mandalay
8

Trained paediatric oncologist doctors in the country
12

average number of hours it takes families to reach the hospital