Malaria on the move: Mapping of Population Migration and Malaria in the South-Eastern Region of Myanmar

Malaria is still one of the major public health concerns in Myanmar as some 1.5 million cases and over 3,200 malaria deaths were estimated in the past two years. Several factors contribute to the spread of malaria and apart from forest/forest-fringe dwellers, mobile and migrant populations (MMP) are considered the major risk group for malaria transmission. Accordingly, the 2011-2015 Strategic Framework for Artemisinin Resistance Containment (MARC) in Myanmar calls for mapping of population migration to assist development of township plans to combat malaria. With financial support from the Three Diseases Fund and as a collaborative effort between the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the State/ Regional Vector-borne Diseases Control (VBDC) Teams and the Department of Medical Research - Lower Myanmar (DMR-LM) of the Ministry of Health, and the World Health Organization (WHO), a study to map population movement was conducted in 21 south-eastern townships categorized as the Tier I (high levels of transmission and drug resistance).