Background Human resources for health (HRH) are the cornerstone of health systems, enabling the improvement of health service coverage. The systematic fortification of healthcare in Myanmar has accelerated since a new ruling party took office. Since 2006, Myanmar has been listed as one of the 57 crisis countries facing critical health workforce shortages. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the current situation of HRH in the public health sector where major healthcare services are provided to the people of Myanmar. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to May 2017 by collecting secondary data from the official statistic of the Ministry of Health and Sports (MoHS), official reports, press-releases, and presentations of Government officials. The data were collected using a formatted excel spreadsheet. A descriptive analysis was applied and the density ratio per 1,000 population for medical doctors and health workers was calculated. Findings In total, 16,292 medical doctors and 36,054 nurses working at 1,134 hospitals were under the management of MoHS in 2016. The finding revealed that 13 out of 15 States and Regions were below the WHO recommended minimum number of 1 per 1,000 population for medical doctor. The distribution of medical doctors per 1,000 population in the public sector showed a gradually decreasing trend since 2006. Urban and rural medical doctor ratios observed wide disparities. Interpretation The HRH shortage occurred in almost all State and Regions of Myanmar, including major cities. Wide disparities of HRH were found in urban and rural areas. The Myanmar government needs to consider the proper cost-effective HRH supply-chain management systems and retention strategies. The projection of health workforce, distribution of workforce by equity, effective management, and health information systems should be strengthened.

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Background Globally, elderly population with impaired cognitive function, such as dementia, has been accelerating, and Myanmar is no exception. However, cognitive function among elderly in Myanmar has rarely been assessed. This study aimed to identify the rate of cognitive impairment and its risk factors among the elderly in Myanmar. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at rural health centers in Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, Myanmar, from December 2018 to January 2019. In total, 757 elderly individuals aged 60 years or over (males: 246 [32.5%], females: 511 [67.5%]) were interviewed using a faceto-face method with a pre-tested questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Results The rate of impaired cognitive function among participants was 29.9% (males: 23.6%; females: 32.9%). The following participants were more likely to present cognitive impairment: those aged 70-79 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-2.70) and 80 years or older (AOR = 3.9; 95% CI: 2.25-6.76); those who were illiterate (AOR = 9.1; 95% CI: 3.82-21.51); and those dependent on family members (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.04-2.44). The elderly livening with their families and those who reported having good health (AOR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.44-0.99) were less likely to have cognitive impairment.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Postnatal Women Version of Japanese-language version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R-J-PWV) at one month after childbirth among Japanese women.Methods: Data were collected at two general hospital maternity wards and one obstetric clinic in Aichi Prefecture from July to December 2013. A total of 260 postnatal Japanese women participated in this study. The women completed anonymous self-report questionnaires at one month postpartum. To examine the construct validity of the IES-R-J-PWV, we conducted exploratory factor analysis with promax rotation. We evaluated the criterion-related validity of the IES-R-J-PWV using Spearman's correlation coefficients between IES-R-J scores and scale scores from the Japanese Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (JEPDS), the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the Sense of Coherence-13 (SOC-13) instrument.Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the IES-R-J-PWV was composed of four factors. The total subscale scores for the four factors significantly correlated with each subscale score. The IES-R-J-PWV was positively correlated with the JEPDS (rs = 0.40, p < 0.01) and the VAS (rs = 0.47, p < 0.01) and negatively correlated with the SOC-13 (rs = -0.33, p < 0.01). The IES-R-J-PWV had good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.92. Conclusions:The results of this study indicated that the IES-R-J-PWV was a valid and acceptable instrument for measuring and evaluating postnatal posttraumatic stress symptoms related to childbirth among Japanese women at one month after childbirth.