Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases among Myanmar Migrants in Amphoe Mae Sot, Changwat Tak, 2004

Abstract

This paper reports the effects of preventive and control measures for reduction of communi- cable disease incidence among Myanmar migrants in Amphoe Mae Sot, Changwat Tak. Health services both in health care centers and by an outreach program, with the assistance of Myanmar  community health volunteers, were provided to this population. Data of communicable disease surveillance and related medical records from all public health care centers in Amphoe Mae Sot were collected and analyzed. Reduction of the incidence of vaccine-preventable disease was observed.

Between 2002 and 2004, few cases of diphtheria, neonatal tetanus, and measles were reported in Myanmar migrants. Among the sputum-positive tuberculosis patients treated during 1999-2004, the annual rates of defaulters decreased more in Thais than Myanmars. The prevalence of HIV seropositive rates in the prostitutes in the district, most of whom were Myanmar, decreased from 28.1 percent in 1999 to 10.0 percent in 2004. During 1999-2004, the annual rates of HIV infection in Myanmar pregnant women reached the peak in 2003 (4.0 %) and declined to 1.6 percent in 2004 whereas the rates in Thais were much lower and showed a decreasing trend after 2001. Malaria incidence reduced from 5,495 cases in 2000 to 1,009 in 2004 in Thai population and from 14,038 to 4,381 in Myanmar migrants. The decreasing trends of malaria deaths were correspondingly detected in both populations. The prevalence of microfilaria rates in Myanmar migrants decreased from 2.37 percent in 1995 to 0.18 percent in 2004. The decreasing trend of microfilaria rate was also observed among Thais.

An outreach service for prevention and control of communicable diseases, with the assistance of migrant community health volunteers, can significantly reduce disease burdens at border areas.