A Ray of SUN in Myanmar

I have been spending the past week in Yangon, Myanmar attending the launch of the Civil Society Alliance (CSA) for Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) and the Global Nutrition Report launch organized by the Myanmar SUN CSA. Both events were a great success with close to 100 people attending and some lively and honest discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing Myanmar.

Walking around the markets of Yangon the array of different foods on offer is astounding, from the multitude of fried fish varieties, herbs, vegetables and spices to the stews and soups being eaten at roadside cafes and teashops. The traditionalMohinga dish consists of a fish based broth containing lemongrass and banana slices that is thickened with chickpea and rice powder and served with noodles, chilli, coriander and lemon juice – it is deliciously moreish. Myanmar has a distinct food culture as rich and vibrant as the diversity of ethnic groups which comprise modern day Myanmar.

As the country prepares to hold their second ‘democratic’ election this year and the population begins to negotiate an increasing yet closely guarded political freedom so too must they make choices about how their food culture and eating habits develop. While Macdonalds has not yet arrived the ubiquitous coca-cola is omnipresent and was one of the first multinational companies to obtain a permit when sanctions on foreign investment were lifted in 2012. It represents just one shift in consumption habits in Myanmar. Processed food is now more available and the bustling food markets selling snacks and meals each evening now contain popular fried processed snacks made from factory processed and nutritionally poor meats. Consequently Myanmar is one of the countries facing a double burden of malnutrition and rising numbers of overweight citizens. While 35% of children under five are stunted, and 8% wasted with 2% of these severely so, 3% of Myanmar’s children under the age of five are overweight[1]. Myanmar will not meet the World Health Assembly targets for nutrition.

The country is also desperately poor with 26% of the population or one in every four people living below the international poverty line[2]. Fresh fruits and vegetables are seasonal and can be expensive and thus not available to everyone. Compounding the poor nutrition situation is Myanmar's status as the most 'at risk' country in Asia Pacific in terms of disaster vulnerability[3]. In 2008 Cyclone Nargis ravaged much of Myanmar pulling up vegetation, homes and whole communities killing 140,000 people and leaving 2.4 million without homes or livelihoods. Subsequently, Tropical Cyclone Giri, floods and earthquakes have all affected the country. While 78% of the population have access to safe drinking water, exceeding the MDG target, access to improved sanitation is at 24% and application of appropriate hygiene practices are poor. There are increasingly reports of displacement of rural communities as a result of large scale mining and hydro-electric dam projects led by foreign investors all of which affect the ability of local communities to be resilient. Girls fare worse in Myanmar than the south-east asian averages with 13% of births to under 18 year olds and only 51% of girls in secondary education compared to the south east asian average of 77%[4]. Access to health services is very poor with only 0.21 community health workers available for every 1000 members of the population. Add to this ongoing conflict and associated displacement and it is not hard to see why the ability of the poorest to eke out a living, maintain good nutrition and health and escape the cycle of poverty is severely compromised.

It is for the above reasons that a civil society movement that understands the need to address the root causes of malnutrition and the impact of the broader political and cultural context is so important. The SUN civil society alliance in Myanmar has many challenges ahead but there are also many opportunities to have a considerable impact on how the country’s nutrition develops. As Sansan Myint, the SUN CSA coordinator says “we want everyone to have good nutrition and be a ray of SUN”.

Cara Flowers, SUN CSN country support officer