Blog about Burma (Myanmar) by

Burmese traditional plant medicine practices

cnguyen05 — 2024-08-27 15:29:28 UTC

In Burma (Myanmar) traditional medicine is still relatively practiced alongside modern medicine (Defilipps et al,. 2018). Lots of plants in Myanmar are used for traditional medicine purposes,. Defilipps et al,. (2018) describes Myanmar as rich in plant diversity and local climate has such an influence on diversity of plant species which explains the many plants available for medical use such as curcuma longa (turmeric) which can be used in ointments, medicines and smoke treatments to help with digestive issues, fevers, cough and anti-inflammatory properties (Defilipps et al,. 2018). Another plant in Burma used for medical purposes is solanum (Indian nightshade) which helps with strengthening the heart and getting rid of phlegm. (Defilipps et al,. 2018)

(citation for this included below)

DeFilipps, R. A., & Krupnick, G. A. (2018). The medicinal plants of Myanmar. PhytoKeys, (102), 1–341. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.102.24380

National dish of Burma

cnguyen05 — 2024-08-27 15:45:02 UTC

Mohinga!! known as the National dish of Burma it is a fish soup with a hardy and rich broth and rice noodles. Traditionally eaten at breakfast but can be eaten anytime of the day, they use chickpea flour with multiple vegetables and seasonings including onions, ginger, lemongrass, banana tree stems, garlic etc. with many different varieties of toppings such as crispy fitters or boiled eggs, each bowl of moving is unique and different to the next. It is a very popular dish so you can expect to find it with ease as it is sold by street vendors and roadside stalls.

(citation of article below)

MACRAE, K. (2023) MOHINGA: MYANMAR’S NATIONAL DISH [Preprint]. Available at: https://www.butterfield.com/get-inspired/mohinga-myanmars-national-dish# (Accessed: 2023).

Traditional clothee: Longyi

cnguyen05 — 2024-08-28 02:59:59 UTC

In Myanmar their clothes show a lot of cultural and personality of the country, one of them is something called a Longyi (the bottom) -taipan (top). Women’s longyi is called thummy, which has a right side up marked by a band on the waist. The bottom is tighter making women’s movement look small and elegant. There are many different designs in bright colours with flower details. For men the longyi is strapless tied with a knot, meaning they often having to adjust the skirt when moving, they don’t have pockets so they have to carry personal things on the outside. Generally, they will wear dark-coloured checkerboard longyi. Longyi can be wore everyday as they are comfortable, brisk clothes, suitable for the hot weather in Burma.

(citation of blog below)

Voyages , E. (2023) ‘Traditional costumers of Myanmar ’, Exotic Voyages , 8 March. Available at: https://www.exoticvoyages.com/blog/traditional-costumes-myanmar-34520.html (Accessed: 2024).

Traditional Music

cnguyen05 — 2024-08-28 09:14:57 UTC

Traditional music of Burma includes a beautiful blend of various musical instruments and folk traditions. The national musical instrument used in Burma is the saung gauk (arched harp) and it has been continuously played since the 8^th century in Burma, mainly in the chamber music of Royal Court (Royal collection trust, 2024), to perform traditional Burmese music. It was used to accompany the singing of songs from Maha Gita (UMBC:University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1995). The Maha Gita is the royal song referring to ‘Thachin Gyi’. It’s used in both solo performances and bigger ensembles.

(citations below)

Search results (no date) Royal Collection Trust. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/74400/burmese-harp-saung-gauk (Accessed: 29 August 2024).

(No date a) The Burmese Saung Gauk. Available at: https://www2.umbc.edu/eol/garfias/saung.html (Accessed: 29 August 2024).

Exploring Domain 1 (1.1.) Clinical Expert

cnguyen05 — 2024-08-28 09:39:25 UTC

For me the most meaningful aspects of being a nurse is being able to accept and understand different cultures, which is why Domain 1.1 of the Clinical Expert from the Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Background’s competency standards framework for clinicians is very important as 1.1 looks at how clinicians respond to diversity of individual characteristics and determinates of cultures. I have developed my understanding of being culturally accepting as something that is good and having learnt and applied this I now know that this skill is essential as we shouldn’t judge others as we do not know their background and need to be accepting and open minded. Due to me not yet having experienced cultural harassment I will need to make sure I do not impose that on others as later in my career I may notice this and might be able to help and call out the behaviour because I have learnt it is wrong.

citations below:

(2019) Culturally responsive clinical practice: Working with people ... Available at: https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Culturally-responsive-clinical-practice-Working-with-people-from-migrant-and-refugee-backgrounds-Jan2019.pdf (Accessed: 29 August 2024).

Impact of social inclusion and Non-discrimination on refugees

cnguyen05 — 2024-08-29 03:15:16 UTC

social inclusion and non-discrimination can positively impact mental health and overall health of refugees and migrants when they arrive to Australia as they will be welcomed with positivity and inclusion making then feel more included in Australian society. It fosters understanding and acceptance between refugees and host communities (UNHCR, 2024). Estimated that half of refugees international experience post-traumatic stress disorder (48.7%) (Hamrah et al,. 2020). If greeted with social inclusion and no discrimination, refugees are more likely to feel included in society and therefore can improve mental health symptoms, as refugees are more likely to experience depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (World Health Organisation, 2021) so if they are more relaxed it creates a more positive environment.

(citations below)

(No date) Social Inclusion of Refugees. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/legacy-pdf/5fc126354.pdf (Accessed: 29 August 2024).

Understanding the mental health and help-seeking behaviours of Refugees | Australian Institute of Family Studies (2022) Understanding the mental health and help-seeking behaviours of refugees. Available at: https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/understanding-mental-health-and-help-seeking-behaviours-refugees (Accessed: 29 August 2024).

Mental health and forced displacement (no date) World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-and-forced-displacement (Accessed: 29 August 2024).

Health issues associated with Burmese refugees

cnguyen05 — 2024-08-29 03:43:30 UTC

A common health issue Burmese refugees face when arriving in Australia is anaemia and iron deficiency (among other blood conditions) (Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide, 2024). Due to many food security risks, inadequate access to nutritious food and clean water issues being common in refugee source countries, these issues can follow them to Australia. Anaemia is a problem of not having enough healthy red blood cells, (low blood haemoglobin concentration with ‘normal’ ranges depending on gender, age etc) and about 7-20% of adults from refugee-like backgrounds in Australia have presented with anaemia but this is greater in younger children (23-39%) as is iron deficiency in children from refugee backgrounds in Australia (17-33%) (Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide, 2024). There is treatment for low iron such as iron supplements, colonoscopy if iron intake doesn’t work within 3 months of oral iron.

(citation below)

Anaemia, iron deficiency, and other blood conditions (no date) Anaemia, Iron Deficiency, and Other Blood Conditions " Australian Refugee Health. Available at: https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/anaemia-iron-deficiency-and-other-blood-conditions/ (Accessed: 29 August 2024).