Information Sheet No.B-1175(I)

[OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx]

MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE
YANGON

Information  Sheet
No.B-1175(I)                   7th December 1999

(1)     Myanmar-Japan Joint Economic Conference Held

    The Third Myanmar-Japan Joint Economic Conference was
held at the International Business Centre, on Pyay
Road, Yangon on 6 December, attended by Minister at
the State Peace and Development Council Chairman's
Office Brig-Gen Abel, Deputy Minister for National
Planning and Economic Development, directors-general
and managing directors of the ministries concerned and
officials, Chairman of Japan-Myanmar Economic
Committee and Vice-Chairman of Keidanren Group Mr.Twao
Torium, Japanese Ambassador and Japanese entrepreneurs
totalling over 50. Papers on Aftermath of ASEAN
Financial Crisis and on Japanese Response to the
Financial Crisis were presented by Vice-Governor of
the Central Bank of Myanmar and Counsellor Mr.Endo of
Mitsui Company respectively. Afterwards,
General-Secretary of the Union of Myanmar Federation
of Chambers of Commerce and Industry presented a paper
on Investment Analysis of FDI in Myanmar, followed by
a general round of discussions. The conference will
continue on 7 December.

(2) Fourth First Aid Workshop Begins

    The Fourth First Aid Workshop jointly sponsored by
Myanmar Red Cross Society and International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies was held at
Mya Yeik Nyo Royal Hotel on 6 December. Present were
Minister for Health , Deputy Minister for Home
Affairs, diplomats, resident representatives of UN
Agencies and officials, heads of departments,
President of  Myanmar Red Cross Society MRCS and EC
members, representatives from Myanmar Medical
Association, Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare
Association, International Federation Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies delegates of National Red cross
and Red Crescent Societies from Myanmar, Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, the People's
Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, Laos,
Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka,
Thailand and Vietnam and observers from Australia,
France, Britain and Sweden. Minister for Health
delivered a speech.
 
    He said;'' First Aid in the Community has been
initiated in Bejing Conference since May 1993. A
resource manual for Red Cross and Red Crescent
Volunteers entitled. ''First Aid in the Community''
has been produced and more than 12 National Societies
of Asia have committed to adapt and translate the
manual in Phnom Penh workshop in December 1994. As a
result, Myanmar Red Cross Society proceeded to develop
the first translated draft followed by field testing .
Myanmar version of  ''First Aid in the Community'' was
later published and the Red Cross Volunteers were
trained according to the translated manual. Two
representatives from Myanmar Red Cross Society had
been sent to the workshop for Trainer's Manual held in
Vientiane in March 1996 after which Myanmar Red Cross
Society produced Trainer's Manual in Myanmar language.
      
      Trainer's Manuals have already been published
and used in the training of Trainers Courses and then
the trainers training the volunteers of almost all
states and divisions of Myanmar. The Red Cross
Volunteers have actively participated in Country
Health Programmes since 1978 when Myanmar launch HFA
2000 strategy. Taking the opportunity of Red Cross
Brigades being established at the grass root level and
even in border areas, they have accomplished
remarkable achievement in National Immunization Days
(NIDs) every year for 5 successive years, Neonatal
Tetanus Elimination, Leprosy Elimination Programme,
Polio Eradication Programmes, Environmental Sanitation
Weeks and other uncountable number of community based
health programmes without involvement of local Red
Cross volunteers, the success of all round development
including health sector is not likely, especially in
border areas where language barrier is present. Now
under the guidance of National Health Plan Committee,
the Red Cross Volunteers are involved in many health
care programmes like prevention and control of
HIV/AIDS, Diarrhoeal diseases, Dengue Haemorrhagia
fever, Malaria and Epidemic outbreaks. They are also
active volunteers in Universal Child Immunization
Programmes with Polio eradication, Water and
Sanitation Programmes and community oriented Health
Education Programmes. Myanmar Red Cross Society has a
networking throughout the country and the health
activities are involved in almost all of the townships
in Myanmar.'' 

    Next, President of MRCS, representative in South East
and East Asia region of International Federation of
the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Dr. Stefan
Seebacher and representative of the Federation to
Myanmar Mr. Yutaka Oiwa made speeches. The workshop
continues till 10 December.

(3) Opening of Multimedia Teaching Centres in
PyinOoLwin and Sagaing Held

    The opening ceremony of the multimedia teaching
centre at Basic Education High School No.1 in
PyinOoLwin was held at the School on 6 December and
No.1 BEHS in Sagaing was also held at the school on
the same day.

(4) 42 Papers Presented to 9th Medical Specialities Conference

        The 9th Medical Specialities Conference was
held at the hall of Myanmar Medical Association in
Yangon from 3 to 6 December. A total of 42 papers were
presented to the conference which ended on 6 December.

(5) Minister Meets UN Assistant Secretary-General

    Minister for Health met Assistant Secretary-General
of the United Nations Assistant Administrator of UNDP
and Regional Director of Asia and the Pacific Regional
Bureau Dr.Nay Tun who called at his office on 6
December.

(6) Environment and Rural Development Course Opened

    A ceremony to open the Environment and Rural
Development Training Course organized by Ministry of
Agriculture and Irrigation and Centre of Integrated
Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP)
was held at Central Agriculture Development Training
Centre of Myanma Agriculture Service in Hlegu on 6
December. The course will last one week.

(7) Vietnamese Canoeing Team Arrives 

    A 14-member Vietnamese canoeing team comprising seven
men, two women and five managers and coaches led by
Mr.Nguyen Hoang Hung firstly arrived Yangon by air on
5 December evening to take part in the 1st South-East
Asian Canoe Championships, 1999, in Inya Lake, Myanmar
Rowing and Canoeing Federation, from 9 to 12 December.