Attachments
2018 Results for Children
100,000 pregnant women, and children under two years of age, benefitted from the Maternal and Child Cash Transfer programme
Nearly 130,000 children under age 10 received birth certificates
Myanmar’s first-ever Costed Medium Term Social Protection Sector Plan endorsed.
We contribute to strengthening national data, planning, and budgets to provide essential services for children
Strong data and knowledge on the situation of children are vital to provide evidence for national policies. Evidence-based policies promote improved socio-economic inclusion, especially for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable.
How we help: Building evidence to support policies, systems, and public financial management
Child rights monitoring: Evidence underpins all of UNICEF’s work, and our long and productive relationship with Myanmar positions us to support the Government’s efforts to build robust national data systems that reveal the situation of children. UNICEF analyses draw out important findings on children that support our advocacy for initiatives in health, education, water and sanitation. Importantly, UNICEF’s technical assistance supports the Government to create baselines and measure progress related to targets for children in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Improving social protection: In Myanmar, many people, including children, struggle to access social services. UNICEF places a priority on supporting national plans to expand the social protection system, so all children are included. In 2014, Myanmar launched the National Social Protection Strategic Plan, with eight flagship programmes that aim to promote human and socioeconomic development, strengthen resilience to cope with disasters, enable productive investments, and improve social cohesion. With UNICEF and partners’ support, the Government has undertaken an important step towards its implementation with an expanding Maternal and Child Cash Transfer scheme. In 2018, the programme helped boost child and maternal health among 100,000 pregnant women, and children under age two. UNICEF is a lead partner and has been providing full technical and capacity support in the scheme’s design as well as its monitoring and evaluation, including through use of a Management Information System.
Expanding birth registration: Ensuring universal access to birth registration is a vital step towards building an inclusive society with protections for all.
Myanmar has achieved remarkable results in registering children’s births, with coverage jumping from 72 per cent in 2009 to 81 per cent in 2015.
Still, many children continue to be left out. UNICEF is to the forefront of a major effort to continue to raise coverage including through piloting an innovative mobile technology for registration in Mon state by partnering with the Telenor Group.
Supporting children with disabilities: Children with disabilities in Myanmar struggle to access their rights and to fully participate in society. UNICEF supports capacity building in key ministries and bodies to define policies, and implement services, for some of society’s most vulnerable people. Currently, this support includes supporting the development of disability policy frameworks, a certification/registration system, and coordination initiatives.
Public finance for children: Myanmar’s economy is experiencing significant growth, and there is an expectation that an increasing portion of resources will be invested through national budgets. UNICEF is committed to working with national stakeholders to provide evidence and advocate for an increased portion of funds to be allocated to social sectors and services, particularly those for children, in an effective and equitable manner. UNICEF’s public financial management component operates within our partnership with the Ministry of Planning and Finance, and our work in evidence-based planning and budgeting, and strengthening public financial management systems extends to line ministries and local governments.
Find Out More: For data, analysis, and stories, visit our website at www.unicef.org/myanmar/social-policy