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DFID Burma,
c/o British Embassy, 81 Strand Road, Rangoon, Burma
Tel:+951 256 918, 951 380-322 and 951 370 863-5 | Fax:+951 370 866
E-mail: burmaenquiries@dfid.gov.uk
Map courtesy of the FCO
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Burma
Background
 Burma (also known as Myanmar) is one of the least aided poor countries in the
world. In 2002, Burma received only £1 per person in aid. This is one of the
lowest levels of assistance in the world – over 20 times less than for
Cambodia, and ten times less than that for Zimbabwe.
Public investment in education and healthcare is amongst the lowest in the world
(roughly $2/capita in 2003 - $1/capita on education and $0.5/capita on health).
Human rights abuses are a continuing concern.
Despite Burma’s rich natural resource base, the people are generally poor as
a result of many years of bad governance and conflict.
Burma is a difficult place to work. There are restrictions on access for the
UN and International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs). In 2006 the Burmese
Government produced guidelines to regulate the work of INGOs and the UN.
Data for Burma is difficult to get hold of and its quality is variable. The
Burmese Government has completed a Millennium Development Goal report
(2005), but its presentation of the data is not entirely consistent.
- Population: 51,853,100
- Poverty (No. of people living below $1 a day): 15 million (30% estimated)
- $2 a day figure: Not known
- GDP per capita: $1,027
- Life expectancy: 57.2 years
- Literacy rates: 85.3%
- Malnutrition: 7%
- Government funding for education: 0.3% of GDP
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DFID in Burma
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DFID's budget in Burma is £7.8 million for 2006/07 and £8.8 million for
2007/08. The total spend for 2004-08 is £30.8 million. The programme is managed
by the Bangkok office. DFID’s work in Burma is set within the framework of the European Common
Position, which imposes limitations on assistance to the country. We are trying to
improve the effectiveness of our aid through closer working with other donors.
Poverty and hunger
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- £4 million funding from 2005-08 to support
 UN
Human Development Initiatives (UNHDI) which introduce new
technology and new community infrastructure in poor villages, and have
also established a series of highly successful women’s savings and loans
groups.
- Providing £300,000 in supporting The International Development
Enterprise (IDE) Rural Smallholder Irrigation and Livelihoods
Initiative, through the marketing of high quality affordable foot pumps.
The project aims to increase incomes and reduce the vulnerability of
poor rural households across Burma.
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Primary Education
- £2.7 million funding from 2006-09 to support
Save the Children’s community managed early
childhood centres and transition to primary school project.
- Contributing £3.3 million to
UNICEF’s basic education
programme which works through the Ministry of Education. This joint funded
project (EC, Denmark and the Netherlands) is structured so that funds will go
directly to schools rather than through the central Ministry.
Child mortality
- Providing £1.48 million from 2005-07 to the
World Health Organisation
on its Strengthening Integrated Vaccine Prevention programme. This aims
to achieve improvements in the surveillance of epidemic prone diseases
and to contribute to the reduction in disease burden in childhood
mortality and morbidity.
Diseases
- DFID is contributing £20.1
million to the multi-funded three diseases fund (3D-Fund)
 (72
kb). The fund will provide
support over five years to the work of NGOs, the UN and INGOs and township level
public health staff on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria;
- 48 million condoms were distributed in 2004 (up from 32.67 million in 2005)
in HIV and AIDS focused projects;
- 170,000 clients visited clinics for the treatment of sexually transmitted
infections (up from 106,000 in 2000);
- 1,100,000 clean needles and syringes were distributed for intravenous drug users
(more than double the number distributed in 2004);
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Links
Last updated: 18 June 2008
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