Why  should  Hong  Kong  help?

We…
• Have  a  responsibility  as  a  developed    country
• Can  contribute  significantly  to  achieving  MDGs
• Can  help  our  neighbors  in  the  local  region
• Can  improve  our  reputation  as  Asia’s  World  
City

1
 Global  Situation
Maternal  mortality  (Indicator  16)
• Hundreds  of  thousands  of  women  die  from  
preventable  complications  during  pregnancy  or  
childbirth  each  year

Under  five  mortality  (Indicator  13)

• The  number  of  under  five  mortality  reduced  from  
12.5  million  to  8.8  million  between  1990-­‐2008,  
but  still  falls  short  of  the  MDG  target  (MDG  
Report  2010)

2
 Myanmar  Situation
• Maternal  mortality  
(Indicator  16)

– In  2005,  380  per  100,000  

live  births  (MDG  Monitor)  

3
 Myanmar  Situation
• Under  five  mortality  
(Indicator  13)

– 2/3  by  2015  goal  =  38.5  

per  1,000  live  births

– In  2003,  66.1  per  1,000  

live  births  (Myanmar  
DOH)

– In  2006,  104  per  1,000  live  

births  (MDG  Monitor)
4
 World  Vision  Hong  Kong
• Save  children  from  the  devastation  of  the  HIV  
epidemic  
• Use  donations  to  provide  help  for  children  
– medical  and  healthcare  services  
– psychological  therapy/spiritual  counseling  
– living  skills/vocational  training  
– basic  essentials  
– preventive  education  
• Evaluation:  Can’t  ensure  sustainability  because  
there  is  no  stable  donation
5
 Hong  Kong  Health  Professional  Corps  
(HKHPC)
• Eligible  medical  professionals  (doctors,  nurses,  midwives)  
can  have  portions  of  their  education  expenses  repaid  by  
the  government
– They  must  serve  in  designated  areas  for  at  least  two  years  to  
receive  30%  refund  of  their  medical  expenses
– Every  additional  term  of  two  years  will  receive  a  25%  
repayment,  capped  at  80%  total
• Professionals  must  identify  areas  of  research  to  contribute  
to  (i.e.  plan  to  publish  in  medical  journals)
• Upon  their  return  to  Hong  Kong,  the  cohorts  of  
professionals  will  be  expected  to  give  back  to  the  Hong  
Kong  medical  community  and  participate  in  local  research  
projects,  conferences,  and  guest  lectures  in  medical  schools

6
 Hong  Kong's  Commitment
• Teams  of  three  people  will  be  sent  to  10  identified  pilot  
communities  in  Myanmar
• They  will  be  provided  with  a  mobile  medical  unit  that  is  
suitable  for  the  local  area
• Hong  Kong  will  liaise  with  the  Burmese  government  to  
ensure  protection,  access  to  communities,  and  
adequate  living  standards
• Through  collaboration  with  the  Burmese  government,  
grant  solicitation,  and  Hong  Kong's  contribution,  
cohorts  will  be  given  annual  roundtrip  airfare  and  a  
salary  of  $200,000-­‐300,000,  depending  on  
qualifications  and  experience

7
 Challenges
• Hong  Kong  will  have  to  financially  commit  at  
least  $30  million  to  the  project  through  
government  funding  or  external  funding
• Must  promote  the  program  to  the  educational  
institutions,  the  medical  community,  and  the  
general  population
• Work  with  the  Burmese  government  to  create  
a  strong  program  that  addresses  identified  
MDG  targets

8
 Benefits
• Hong  Kong  will  become  a  leader  in  Asia  in  achieving  the  
MDGs
• Create  a  culture  of  global  civic  responsibility  that  is  
currently  lacking
• Cohorts  will  contribute  significantly  to  the  local  medical  
research  upon  their  return
• Contribute  to  Hong  Kong's  profile  as  a  leader  in  the  medical  
education
• Hong  Kong's  will  be  able  to  attract  strong  research  students
• Medical  professionals  will  become  highly  trained  in  dealing  
with  trauma  in  the  field
• Provide  access  to  affordable  education  for  Hong  Kong  
residents
9
 Evaluation
• An  initial  cohort  of  30  professionals  will  be  
chosen
• Identified  objectives  will  be  established  jointly  by  
Hong  Kong  and  Myanmar
• After  the  initial  two  year  term,  they  program  will  
be  evaluated  by  a  selected  committee  of  team  
members,  policy  makers,  and  government  
representatives
• If  the  program  meets  the  identified  objectives,  it  
can  be  renewed  and  possibly  expanded  to  other  
geographic  areas
10
 Strategies  for  
Maternal  &  Child  Health  (MCH)
• Improve  antenatal,  delivery,  
postpartum  and  newborn  care
• Provide  quality  services  for  birth  
spacing  and  prevention  and  
management  of  unsafe  abortions  
• Prevent  and  reduce  STDs
• Promote  sexual  health

11
 Major  Activities
• Training local health professionals
• Provision of supply and equipment
• IEC development and distribution
• Research
• Infrastructure development
• Supervision, monitoring and evaluation
• Community empowerment and strengthening of
referral system
• Integration and partnership with other health
services
12
13
 Policy  Recommendations
• Have  teams  of  health  practitioners  contribute  
as  lecturers  in  the  medical  schools
• Facilitate  information  sharing  (health  forums)
• Provide mobile health units

14
 Reference
• Millennium  Development  Goals  Report  2010
• http://www.worldvision.org.hk/en/our-­‐
work/bring-­‐hope-­‐to-­‐children
• http://www.moh.gov.mm/
• http://www.mdgmonitor.org/
• http://www.mnped.gov.mm/MDG06.pdf

15