Tackling Non‑Communicable Diseases to Achieve Universal Health Coverage in Myanmar

This policy brief highlights the urgent need for Myanmar to prioritise non-communicable diseases (NCDs) within its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda. It presents compelling data such as NCDs driving 59% of deaths to underline growing demographic and epidemiological shifts. The brief argues that health systems must be reoriented toward preventive, affordable, and equitable NCD services, especially as the older population continues to grow rapidly.

Key recommendations include strengthening primary health care capacity, expanding the WHO PEN package, improving surveillance data, and addressing socioeconomic and geographical inequities in access. It makes the case that achieving UHC by 2030 depends on integrating NCD prevention and management, with particular focus on older populations and underserved communities. The brief can be accessed here