Civil society organization (CSOs) have played a critical role in Myanmar’s health system for decades. However, based on our experience with working in the field with CSOs, we find that uniformity of knowledge for Universal Health Coverage is a gap we need to fill quickly. Many providers have knowledge gaps in overall health systems functioning and are familiar only with HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria because of dedicated funding streams for such vertical programs. There is an urgent need to foster systems level thinking in their decision making, so that Myanmar can achieve UHC by 2030 in an inclusive manner, ensuring “Health Equity” throughout the country.

PGK has established partnerships with several Myanmar CSOs throughout the country since 2012 because these local CSOs are part of the communities they serve and have extensive understanding of the local context and how to overcome barriers in implementation of activities. Myanmar CSOs have also played an important part in shaping health systems at the national level, increasing communities’ involvement in the decision-making process, and in creating accountability mechanisms. Through their work with communities, CSOs are well-positioned to support the government to deliver healthcare and remove barriers that prevent people from accessing health services.

Since the development of the NHP in 2016, PGK has led and worked closely with the CSO Health with techanical assistant of Community Partner International ( CPI ).

 As depicted in the NHP (2017-2021), the meaningful participation of CSOs is necessary for the NHP to succeed. For CSOs to join the national health reform efforts, they need to be informed, empowered and their voices have to be heard by policy makers.  PGK and CPI have jointly performed activities that are required for the foundation of robust participation by CSOs in the future.  PGK and CPI have organized State/Regional CSOs Health fora in Yangon, Mandalay, Magway and Mon, and organized UHC/NHP awareness raising sessions and collected voices from the CSOs representatives. Outputs of the CSO fora were presented to the MoHS for finalization of the NHP Annual Operation Plan for 2017-2018.

At the same time, the government fully embraces UHC as the long-term goal towards which the country should strive. It recognizes two important facts:

1. The public sector alone will not be able to extend essential health services and interventions to the entire population of the country; and
2. Increasing financial protection will require a significant reduction in what households spend on health out of pocket.

National Health Plan already included the roles of civil society organizations in service delivery and monitoring of NHP implementation as a watchdog. Third Myanmar Civil Society Forum on Health, which held in February 2018 agreed and released a statement. It recommends that roles of CSOs in social accountability, service delivery and monitoring NHP implementation in States and Regions needed to implement as including in National Health Plan (2017 – 2021). The statement of the forum also recommends that Health CSOs Network need to actively advocate, lobby and engage the development of the new legislation on UHC/National Health Insurance law. Therefore, this program has been supporting the on-going engagement of CSO in Health Sector reform focusing on Universal Health Coverage process according to the decision of Third Myanmar Health CSO Forum. In addition, this program will enhance the CSO network and empower its members to participate in the township health working groups, to coordinate with MoHS, to provide inputs to MoHS on behalf of CSOs, and to engage in the process of developing the national health insurance/UHC law.

This program will help Myanmar CSOs members become enlightened with the national efforts on health reforms and understand how CSOs need to prepare for the upcoming challenges and grab the opportunities emerging from the shift in the future Myanmar Health System. The program aims to take actions in the following areas:

• Social Accountability and Monitoring
• Health Service Demand Creation
• UHC Law Development
• Service Provisions
• Coordination with MoHS via CSOs Network
• Capacity Building for CSOs representatives