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Health
Compared to neighbouring countries, women’s health in Myanmar is poor. Maternal
mortality stands at 240 per 100,000, higher than Viet Nam (56), Thailand (48), Malaysia
(31) and India (230).102 Healthcare relating to sexual and reproductive health lacks gender
responsive policies, plans and programmes.103 As a result, 25% of women have an unmet
need for family planning and 18% of married women have an unmet need for
contraception.104 Almost 10 percent of maternal deaths are abortion-related.105
The CEDAW Committee highlighted the complete absence of any information about how the
healthcare budget - which is a quarter of the country’s spending on defence - is allocated
and spent, citing this as being key to the failure of healthcare delivery for women, especially
in rural areas.106 The Committee pointed, in particular, at the complete lack of sex
education programmes, and the lack of access for women to quality sexual and reproductive
health services. It recommended the need to strengthen and expand efforts to increase
knowledge so that women and men can make informed choices.107
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ARTICLE 19 - Censored gender: Women’s right to freedom of expression and information in Myanmar - Page 29