BHF’s Humanitarian activity along the border

Photo of family at clinicWORKING TOGETHER WITH SMRU ON ACCESS TO HEALTH FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE 

According to WHO data, the areas along Thai - Myanmar border are populated by 6.8 million Thais and more than one million people internally displaced in the eastern border area of Myanmar.  With an estimated 500,000 to 1 million registered and undocumented migrants, the undocumented migrants are the largest public health concern, as many do not have access to health services, have increased morbidity and present a number of public health risks, such as low immunization rates.  

While some members of the at-risk migrant population live in settlements, others are highly mobile, moving back and forth across the border. This raises increased public health concerns for border health, over the transmission of most severe infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, meningitis, diphtheria, measles and malaria. Tuberculosis and Malaria are of particular concern in the border provinces especially for the circulation and transmission of the drug resistant forms.  

The BHF mission is to provide access to quality health care to the marginalized populations living on both sides of the Thai-Myanmar border in Tak Province through the combination of humanitarian activities and SMRU’s research. MCH is one of the major BHF/ SMRU programs of co-operation along the Thailand-Myanmar border.

 

TUBERCULOSIS PROGRAM: TO END TB - NO ONE LEFT BEHIND

SMRU and BHF are collaborating to provide access to TB services to the most vulnerable, marginalized people from Myanmar displaced, migrant, cross border populations, hard to reach vulnerable groups.

  • TB Awareness Raising and TB Screening Activity 

    • Improving health education, case detection and access to TB diagnosis
  • TB clinic care along the border to provide easy access to migrants for treatment and consultation

    • TB Case management with tailored, patient-centred care approach for case holding, and provision of TB treatment for all TB (Drug Sensitive TB, Multi Drug Resistant-TB and Co-infected with TB/HIV)
    • TB Care and support for TB patient with transportation, accommodation, food, and psychosocial care of patients and care takers in residential TB center
    • Support of skilled Medical team, counselling team, and TB laboratory activities
  • 2 Countries collaboarations with partners for TB control and referral

    • Cooperation with the Mae Tao Clinic for TB services to the migrants and contribution to TB control activity for both countries National TB program with partnership with local Government hospitals of TAK province and Myawaddy Township.
    • Collaboration with Myawaddy National AIDS program at Government hospital to support all TB patients with HIV to get the treatment for AIDS disease.
    • Cross-border collaboration for continuation of care for all TB, TB/HIV patients