Image: Staff from the Kayin State Health Department, Pyi Gyi Khin and the Myanmar Health CSOs Network participate in the filming of the “Our UHC” music video. (CPI)
It’s well known that singing and dancing can have health benefits. However, a group of health providers in Myanmar is taking this a step further—singing and dancing for everyone’s health.
On December 7, in the run-up to Universal Health Coverage Day, Community Partners International (CPI), Pyi Gyi Khin, and the Myanmar Health CSOs Network released a song and accompanying music video to raise awareness of universal health coverage (UHC) and support the push to achieve health for all in Myanmar by 2030. The song also forms part of a public competition inviting people to record cover versions and post them on Facebook, with two winning versions to be selected and announced on December 12 – Universal Health Coverage Day. The catchy song “Our UHC” was composed by Thaw Moe Sett and sung by Myanmar music star Ni Ni Khin Zaw. Staff from the Kayin State Health Department, Pyi Gyi Khin, and the Myanmar Health CSOs Network joined together to form a dance group for the video, which was filmed in Kayin (Karen) State prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch the “Our UHC” music video:
The “Our UHC” song encourages the government and people to join together to ensure everyone can access good health care without financial hardship. The need for UHC in Myanmar and many other countries worldwide has become even more urgent in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, but what does it mean in practice? The World Health Organization’s and the World Bank’s monitoring framework define the achievement target for UHC as reaching at least 80% coverage of essential health services and 100% financial protection from catastrophic and impoverishing health payments. A third and fundamental measure of achievement is equity. Countries seeking to achieve UHC must ensure that poorer, less advantaged population segments are not left behind. These targets powerfully illustrate the scale of the challenge facing Myanmar.
After decades of underinvestment, Myanmar’s health infrastructure and workforce remain far behind the levels required to achieve universal health coverage. The budget allocation for health has increased recently, from 1% of total government expenditure in 2010-2011 to 4.6% in 2017. However, most health expenditures in Myanmar are still covered by out-of-pocket payments (75.7% in 2017, according to Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports data).
Hundreds of thousands of people in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities have little or no affordable access to government-supported health services. Recent studies have indicated that 41% of Myanmar households face catastrophic expenditures when using health care (https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-019-4071-8).
The “Our UHC” song exhorts Myanmar not to lose focus in its push to protect everyone. The lyrics stress the need to “reduce worries about financial hardship” and “stand for equity” by providing equal opportunities and universal health insurance for everyone in Myanmar to access good-quality health care, whether “rich or poor” or “rural or urban.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened health inequity around the world. With potentially effective vaccines now on the horizon, it is essential to emphasize that the pandemic is not over anywhere until it is over everywhere. Moving forward, the experience of this pandemic must spur governments and communities to push ahead with greater urgency to achieve universal health coverage. Our lives, livelihoods, and futures depend on it.
“Our UHC” Song Lyrics (English Translation)
Singer – Ni Ni Khin Zaw Composer – Thaw Moe Sett
As long as we have health care accessible to everyone Poor and rich will have equal opportunities in life With fairness for all Let’s reduce worries about financial hardship when seeking health care For both urban and rural people Let’s provide the best national health care service Today, universal health coverage is practiced all over the world The world is covered Let’s pursue this goal in Myanmar For all of our peoples Let’s build a health system for everyone We can all have equal opportunities No difference… We stand for equity Supporting healthy lives forever Our UHC
UHC will create a better system Let the government and people work together and take responsibility Let’s reduce worries about financial hardship when seeking health care For both urban and rural people Let’s provide the best national health care service Today, universal health coverage is practiced all over the world The world is covered Let’s pursue this goal in Myanmar For all of our peoples Let’s build a health system for everyone We can all have equal opportunities No difference… We stand for equity Supporting healthy lives forever Our UHC For all of our peoples Let’s build a health system for everyone We can all have equal opportunities No difference… We stand for equity Supporting healthy lives forever Our UHC
Supporting healthy lives forever Supporting healthy lives forever Our UHC
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