The 2015-16 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (2015-16 MDHS) is the first Demographic and Health Survey to be conducted in Myanmar. The survey was implemented by the Ministry of Health and Sports (MoHS), and data collection took place from December 7, 2015, to July 7, 2016. Funding was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Three Millennium Development Goal Fund (3MDG). ICF provided technical assistance through The DHS Program.
Survey Objective
The primary objective of the 2015-16 MDHS was to provide up-to-date estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the survey collected information on fertility levels, marital status, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, breastfeeding practices, nutrition, mother and child mortality and health, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and other health-related issues, such as smoking and knowledge of tuberculosis.
The information collected through the 2015-16 MDHS is intended to assist policy makers and program managers in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving the health of the country’s population. Moreover, this survey has come at a beneficial time for Myanmar, as the results will be used to develop the next 5-year National Health Plan (2017-2021) and to update the national comprehensive development plan.
Key findings:
- Drinking water: Eighty percent of all households have access to an improved drinking water source, as do 89% of urban households and 77% of rural households.
- Sanitation: Almost half of all households have an improved sanitation facility; however, less than 1% have a flush toilet linked to a sewer system.
- Household population and composition: Twenty-nine percent of the Myanmar population is under age 15. The sex ratio in Myanmar is 85 men per 100 women.
- Indoor smoke: Seventy-seven percent of all households use solid fuel for cooking. Forty-five percent of households are exposed daily to secondhand smoke.
- Birth registration: Eighty-one percent of children under age 5 have had their births registered.
- Orphans: Seventy-five percent of children under age 18 live with both parents, 8% are orphans, and 9% do not live with either parent.
- School attendance: The net attendance rate decreases from 83% in primary school to 60% in secondary school. There is no difference by gender in school attendance in primary school, but more girls than boys attend secondary school.
Source: Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sport
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