UNICEF Country Programme 2018-2022 - Myanmar

Rooted in national principles and priorities

UNICEF’s new country programme 2018- 2022 for Myanmar will be implemented during a period of significant political, economic and social transition, providing unprecedented opportunities and risks for the realization of child rights in country. UNICEF’s programme is rooted in the four goals established by the Government, including national reconciliation; internal peace; transformation to a democratic federal union and; raising the quality of life for the majority of people. The New Vision, New Results for Children conference in October 2016 also set out the policy priorities in key sectors to support progress for children. During the coming years UNICEF will strive to support these core principles and priorities.
Lessons from the previous country programme, 2013-2017- point to the need to holistically address children’s and adolescents’ development following a life-cycle approach, addressing social norms and parental practices, focused on the most disadvantaged children and adolescents including those in protracted and diverse forms of displacement.

Children in need

Myanmar remains a poor country. Despite gross domestic product (GDP) growth of over 8 per cent in the last two years, close to one in four households – mainly located in rural and ethnic areas – live below the $1.25 poverty line . Half of all households live on or just above the poverty line, with 55 per cent of all children in Myanmar living in income poverty .

• The under-five mortality rate of 50 per 1,000 live births is high with half occurring among new-borns. Seven out of 15 State/ regions contribute to 75 per cent of under-five deaths; with the highest numbers in Chin and Shan.

• In 2016 29.2 per cent of children under five were stunted with wasting at 7 per cent.

• Five million children lack access to an improved water supply and 1.4 million children lack access to toilet facilities.

• More than one million children aged 0 to 5 still remain unregistered, despite improvements in birth registration coverage to almost 80 per cent in 2014.

• More than two million children aged 5 to 17 years remain out-of-school, and an estimated number of 232,000 children with disabilities - two thirds - do not attend school.

• An estimated 20% of children and adolescents work, with half under the minimum working age and with the highest prevalence in Shan State.

• Over 200, 000 children (mostly adolescents) live in religious institutions away from their parents and nearly 700, 000 children are cared for by extended family and non-relative family care.