Since the military coup in Myanmar on the 1st of February 2021, health professionals have been at the forefront of the Civil Disobedience Movement, working to provide continuity of care at a time when hospitals and clinics are being occupied.

This webinar hosted by the APPG on Global Health provided parliamentarians with insight in to how the coup is affecting health workers in Myanmar, and how the UK health community is rallying to give support. Using case studies revealing the experiences of particular health workers, and with participants drawn from the membership of several Royal Medical Colleges as well as Myanmar clinicians working in the NHS, parliamentarians were able to explore the ethical and practical challenges of responding to the coup.

The webinar refered to a wide range of knowledge-transfer initiatives underway, on themes ranging from the treatment of traumatic injuries experienced during protests, to the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Parliamentarians also gained insight into long-standing Health Partnerships between UK health institutions and their counterparts in Myanmar, many of which have been funded by UK Aid.

Speakers included Professor Zaw Wai Soe, the leading Burmese doctor and minister in the CRPH, the government in exile, as well as other Burmese and British clinicians. A minister from the FCDO had also been invited.

You can watch the recording of the event here: