Burmese clothing dates back to the 1750s and is worn by those high in power (Stephen, 2017). The clothing was even inspired by Indian clothing when Indian immigrants arrived in Myanmar (Stephen, 2017).

Longyi worn by men wear “Paso,” usually with designs portraying checks or stripes in dark colours (Liem, 2024). Longyi worn by women wear “Htamein,” and various patterns are displayed as colourful and bright (Liem, 2024).

Due to the comfort and ease of wearing longyi, it’s mainly worn by Burmese people daily (Liem, 2024).

References:

Klier, P. A. (1845-1911). A Burmese Man [Photograph]. Myanmar Photo Archive.

Liem, J. (2024, August 25). Traditional Dress of Myanmar – National Dress. Sonasia Holiday. https://sonasia-holiday.com/sonabee/burmese-longyi

Stephen (2017, June 28). Traditional Dress of Myanmar – National Dress. GoMyanmarTours. https://www.gomyanmartours.com/traditional-dress-myanmar/

Mohinga was a popular dish among workers due to its low price, and over time, it became popular throughout Burma (EatSleepYangon, 2023). It became so popular that the earliest English mention was in a magazine in 1936 (EatSleepYangon, 2023).

Its main ingredients are rice noodles and fish, and its broth mainly consists of lemongrass, garlic, ginger, onions and banana stems (Remitly, 2023). It’s also often topped with a boiled egg, fried fritters and lime wedges (EatSleepYangon, 2023).

Recipe link: How to Make Mohinga (Burmese Fish Noodle Soup) - Fearless Eating

References:

EatSleepYangon. (2023, May 5). The Story of Mohinga [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abk0q44Iefc

Fear, C. (n.d.). How to Make Mohinga (Burmese Fish Noodle Soup). Fearless Eating. https://fearlesseating.net/mohinga-best-noodle-soup-ever/

LM Travel Myanmar. (2017). Myanmar Traditional Food, Mohinga [Photograph]. LM Travel Myanmar. https://lmtravelmyanmar.com/myanmar-traditional-food-mohinga/

Paliwal, S. (2018, February 2). Here's What You Need To Know About Burmese Cuisine. NDTV Food. https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-burmese-cuisine-1798460

Remitly (2023, October 20). All about Mohinga: Meet the National Dish of Myanmar (Burma). https://blog.remitly.com/lifestyle-culture/nationaldishes-mohinga-fascinating-facts-myanmar-burma/#The_Origins_of_Mohinga

Chinlone is said to have been a prominent sport for about 1500 years in Burma, entertaining royalty and being played by the Burmese kings (Hananto, 2018). 

Chinlone is played with two teams of 6, involving five people in a circle with a solo player in the centre (Chinlone Europe, 2017). The centre player keeps the ball in the air using their legs and head while doing various techniques to impress (Chinlone Europe, 2017).

Chinlone is played by men and women of all ages, making the sport inclusive (Chinlone Europe, 2017).

References:

Chinlone Europe. (2017, November 11). Introducing Chinlone [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxLSOjrtJ7I

Hananto, A. (2018, September 13). Meet Chinlone, A 15-centuries-old Sport of Myanmar. Seasia. https://seasia.co/2018/09/13/meet-chinlone-a-15-centuries-old-sport-of-myanmar

Kuch, M. (2023, December 1). Myanmar’s National Sport: Chinlone (7 Facts). Sports Foundation. https://sportsfoundation.org/myanmar-national-sport/

PentupPenny. (2010) Chinlone [Artwork]. DeviantArt.

One of the health beliefs they follow is the “Nakkhatta method” (Myanmar Digital News, 2019). This method involves the inspection of the zodiacs of stars, planets, time of birth and age (Myanmar Digital News, 2019). Depending on these factors determine what diet the person should follow to live a healthy life (Myanmar Digital News, 2019).

References:

Chan, A. (2015, March 7). A Glance at Traditional Medicine in Myanmar. Myanmar Insider. https://www.myanmarinsider.com/a-glance-at-traditional-medicine-in-myanmar/

Chan, A. (2015). A Glance at Traditional Medicine in Myanmar [Photograph]. Myanmar Insider. https://www.myanmarinsider.com/a-glance-at-traditional-medicine-in-myanmar/

Myanmar DigitalNews (2019, March 7). Integrating Traditional Medicine into Primary Health Care of Myanmar. https://www.myanmarinsider.com/a-glance-at-traditional-medicine-in-myanmar/

Competency Standard 1.2 Reflection.

References:

Australian Library and Information Association (2010). Reflective Practice Writing Guide. https://www.alia.org.au/common/Uploaded%20files/ALIA-Docs/Reflective-Practice-Vocabulary.pdf

Migrant and Refugee Health Partnership (2019). Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds COMPETENCY STANDARDS FRAMEWORK FOR CLINICIANS JANUARY 2019. https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/competency-standards/about-the-standards/

Ethnic Media Services (2024, January 23). Asian Health Services Offers Mental Health Support for Myanmar Refugees. https://ethnicmediaservices.org/stop-the-hate/asian-health-services-offers-mental-health-support-for-myanmar-refugees/

HealthWest TV. (2019, November 14). The Importance of Social Inclusion. [Video]. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeEPf2rxfgI

Kim, E. E., Alemi, Q., Stempel, C., & Siddiq, H. (2022). Health disparities among Burmese diaspora: An integrative review. THE LANCET Regional Health Southeast Asia, 8, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lansea.2022.100083

Kim, W., Kim, I., Lin, L., Baltimore, K., & Lin, L. (2021). Social Determinants of Mental Health Among Karen Refugees from Burma. Community Mental Health Journal, 58, 749-760. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00880-z

Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs and is spread through air transmission via cough, sneezing, or spitting (WHO, 2023). Myanmar struggles with overcrowding and poor access to health facilities, which all exacerbate the prevalence of TB (Aung et al., 2022).

Tuberculosis is split into two stages (Denholm et al., 2018):

• LTBI (Latent Tuberculosis Infection)

• Active TB

Treatment for TB is mainly effective in its latent stage and is recommended (Denholm et al., 2018). For those who are screened positive for LTBI, the first line of treatment is to take isoniazid for 6-9 months, 10mg/kg up to 300mg daily (Denholm et al., 2018). Isoniazid is an antibiotic that can cause adverse side effects such as rash and nausea (Denholm et al., 2018). This can be prevented by taking pyridoxine 6.25-25mg/day by age (Denholm et al., 2018). Treatment should be reviewed regularly to gain an understanding of treatment and side effects (Denholm et al., 2018).

References:

Aung, S. T., Nyunt, W. W., Moe, M. M., Aung, H. L., & Lwin, T. (2022). The fourth national tuberculosis prevalence survey in Myanmar. PLOS Glob Public Health, 2(6). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000588

Chaves, N. J., Gibney, K. B., Leder, K., O’Brien, D. P., Marshall, C., & Biggs, B. (2009). Screening Practices for Infectious Diseases among Burmese Refugees in Australia. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 15(11), 1769-1772. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1511.090777

Denholm, J., Bailes, M., & Francis, J. (2018). Tuberculosis (TB & LTBI). Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/tuberculosis-tb/

endTB (n.d.). Myanmar. https://endtb.org/myanmar

NIAID. (2010). Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Bacteria, the Cause of TB [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/niaid/5149398656/in/photostream/

World Health Organisation (2023, November 7). Tuberculosis. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis