Partners: Burnet Institute Myanmar
Disability inclusion in health research can be challenging in contexts of political, economic and social fragility. Since Myanmar’s military coup in February 2021, the health system, which was already fragile, has collapsed further, severely impacting people with disabilities. They often face financial barriers to accessing the few remaining services, and many have been forced to forgo necessary treatments. With limited access to essential health care, they have to rely on selfcare, and community support with scarce financial resources.
South Dagon Township, located on the eastern fringe of Yangon, is a peri-urban area characterized by rapid urbanization, socioeconomic inequality and limited public infrastructure. Many residents live in informal or low-income housing, and access to essential services, such as healthcare, education and transportation, is constrained. People with disabilities face compounded vulnerabilities in this environment due to physical, social, and institutional barriers. Although Myanmar ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2011, disability inclusion remains limited in practice, especially in peri-urban townships like South Dagon.
This research study aimed to examine the barriers that people with disabilities face in accessing the health system in order to co-design interventions to make the system more holistic.