No abstract

Setting: Myanmar National Tuberculosis (TB) programme (NTP).Objective: To describe 1) the trends in childhood TB (aged 14 years) notification from 2014 to 2017 and quantify the private sector contribution to this notification; and 2) the profile and treatment outcomes of childhood TB managed in the private sector in 2016.Study design: This was an observational study involving the review of routine records and reports of the NTP public-private mix (PPM) projects managed by the Myanmar Medical Association and Population Service International.Results: The total number of childhood TB notified has declined from 36 314 in 2014 to 28 723 in 2017 (average annual decline = 2607 cases per year). The private sector contribution to the notification remained between 17% and 19%. Of the 5616 childhood TB cases diagnosed and treated under the two PPM projects in 2016, 99% were clinically diagnosed and 5459 (97.7%) had successful treatment outcomes. Children aged 10 years, males, those with bacteriologically confirmed TB, those treated in the regions or states of Mandalay, Chin and Shan had a higher risk of an unfavourable outcome (lost to follow-up, death, move to second-line treatment and not evaluated).Conclusion: Childhood TB notification is showing a declining trend. One of five notified childhood TB cases was diagnosed and treated in the private sector, where the successful treatment rate was high.

57 Purpose The cancer burden is rising and threatens the social and economic development of low- and middle-income countries, including Myanmar, in the ASEAN region. A quality cancer registry plays a unique role in planning, the evaluation of cancer control program, treatment, and palliative care. To date, there is a paucity of studies in Myanmar that have focused on the implementation of a population-based cancer registry. In addition, the concept of telemedicine with the use of information technology applications as appropriate during implementation needs to be introduced. Such an approach may be beneficial to those working at the grassroots level for the overall improvement of the processes of community reporting, confirmation of diagnoses, effective referral for palliative care, and the establishment of cancer registries. Methods A pilot study was therefore carried out to formulate the strategic approach for establishing a population-based cancer registry in Hlegu Township in Northern Yangon District, Myanmar. First, the cancer data entry software was created and installed on mobile phones as an information technology tool to initialize telemedicine. Next, 15 health assistants in Hlegu Township were trained in the collection of data and the entry of basic information on patients with cancer, including name, age, gender, national ID, education, occupation, primary diagnosis, and the site of metastasis of confirmed cancer cases through mobile phone applications and reported to the cancer database unit at the Department of Medical Research. Results A total of 126 patients with cancer were registered in Hlegu Township from June 2016 to May 2017. The estimated prevalence of disease is 4.6 per 10,000 people. The most common age at cancer diagnosis was 46 to 65 years (73.58%). Female sex was 2.5 times predominant than male sex (72% v 27%). Among 91 registered female patients with cancer, the three most common cancers were breast (32.35%), cervix (16.17%) and uterine (15.17%). Eighty-five patients with cancer (67.46%) received their diagnosis in public hospitals. Overall, 59% of patients received combination treatment, 19% received surgery only, 16% were treated with traditional medicine, 3% were treated with radiotherapy only, and 3% were treated with chemotherapy only. Conclusion This study is a first step in applying the concept of telemedicine to the creation of a population-based cancer registry in a resource-limited setting. More concerted efforts are needed to move toward a well-established population-based cancer registry in Myanmar. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST No COIs from the authors.