Integrated Multi-Sectoral Approach (IMSA) To Improve The Sexual And Reproductive Health Of Adolescents In Magway, Myanmar

Around 1 in 4 people in Myanmar is aged between 10 and 24 years, representing the largest population of adolescents (15 million) in the country’s history. This cohort of young people presents a powerful opportunity to improve health and development outcomes for Myanmar: investing in adolescent health not only ensures the health and wellbeing of the current generation of young people, but also lays the foundation for future adult health, and the health of the next generation. Key to realising this ‘triple dividend’ is investment in the sexual and reproductive health of young people.

Adolescents in Myanmar, particularly girls, experience poor sexual and reproductive health: 1 in 6 girls is married by 18, and 1 in 7 have commenced childbearing before the age of 20, with complications of pregnancy and childbirth the second leading cause of death of 10-24 year old girls. Adolescent pregnancy also contributes to preventable infant mortality and is associated with poorer long-term health, education and economic outcomes for girls and their families. Unsafe sex is a leading risk factor for poor health for boys and girls: low rates of condom use and limited knowledge about HIV and other sexual and reproductive health issues common among this age group. 

There are multiple factors that contribute to poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes and risk behaviours among adolescents in Myanmar. Poor accessibility and quality of adolescent-friendly health services results in considerable unmet need for sexual and reproductive health care. Despite the National Life Skills Education curriculum being introduced in schools since 2006, our formative research demonstrated that adolescents have limited access to sexuality education and lack comprehensive knowledge about reproductive health, with 4 out of 5 participants reporting they had never received information about sexual and reproductive health in school. Community opposition, stigma and harmful gender norms also present major barriers to young people accessing essential information and services.IMSA works with young people, their communities, and national and sub-national partners in Magwey Region, Myanmar, to develop and evaluate a best practice model to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The multi-sectoral model includes an integrated package of interventions delivered across education, health and community sectors.