During the colonial period (1885-1948), traditional medicine declined due to the rise of Western allopathic practices. However, it experienced a revival during World War II when Western medicines became scarce (UNESCO, 2024). After independence in 1948, the Burmese government launched a project to promote and standardize traditional medicine, emphasizing its preservation and accessibility as a national heritage (Coderey, 2021).

UNESCO. (2024). Individual case study. Intangible Heritage intangible heritage - Culture Sector - UNESCO. https://ich.unesco.org/en/individual-case-study-00988?id=00036

Coderey, C. (2021, May 27). Myanmar traditional medicine: The making of a national heritage. Cambridge Core. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-asian-studies/article/myanmar-traditional-medicine-the-making-of-a-national-heritage/C7283D4B35D7C2B83397E931B4C4B06E

COMPETENCY STANDARDS FRAMEWORK FOR CLINICIANS. (2019, January). Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds. https://moodleprod.murdoch.edu.au/pluginfile.php/4119639/mod_resource/content/3/Culturally-responsive-clinical-practice-Working-with-people-from-migrant-and-refugee-backgrounds-Jan2019.pdf

The socio-ecological model (SEM) helps understand how social, cultural, and environmental factors influence refugee health. Research using SEM involves migrant communities to stay culturally relevant.

Knowledge of the health needs of Myanmar refugees in Australia is limited, and ineffective health programs are reported due to lack of community engagement (Wong et al., 2019).

Wong, C. K., White, C., Thay, B., & Lassemillante, A. M. (2019, December 23). Living a healthy life in Australia: Exploring influences on health for refugees from Myanmar. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6982124/

Phillips, C., & Francis, J. (2024). Malaria » Australian refugee health. Australian Refugee Health » Primary Care for People of Refugee Backgrounds. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/malaria/

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1,150.6

Total Fat 30.3 g

Saturated Fat 4.6 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 4.4 g

Monounsaturated Fat 9.0 g

Cholesterol 305.0 mg

Sodium 664.1 mg

Potassium 581.1 mg

Total Carbohydrate 152.2 g

Dietary Fiber 9.9 g

Sugars 10.2 g

Protein 68.6 g

Vitamin A 6.2 %

Vitamin B 129.8 %

Vitamin B 638.5 %

Vitamin C 33.5 %

Vitamin D 0.0 %

Vitamin E 16.4 %

Calcium 16.3 %

Copper 11.6 %

Folate 88.3 %

Iron. 48.2 %

Magnesium 13.5 %

Manganese 37.8 %

Niacin 48.0 %

Pantothenic Acid 11.8 %

Phosphorus 19.7 %

Riboflavin 52.1 %

Selenium 47.0 %

Thiamin 98.1 %

Zinc 8.6 %

(SparkRecipes, 2021)

Unfortunately studies have shown that since 2022, food security and nutrition has rapidly deteriorated in Myanmar. Approximately April-June 2023 over 3% of households reported they were in moderate to severe hunger (European Commission, 2023).

European Commission. (2023). The state of food security and nutrition in Myanmar 2022-23: Findings from five rounds of the Myanmar household welfare survey. Knowledge for policy. https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/publication/state-food-security-nutrition-myanmar-2022-23-findings-five-rounds-myanmar-household_en

SparkRecipes. (2021, August). Calories in Burmese fish noodle soup (Mohinga). https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calories.asp?recipe=2327265

Buddhism in Myanmar is primarily of the Theravada tradition. Theravāda Buddhism in Myanmar involves the incorporation of spirit (nat) worship, which includes appeasing spirits believed to contain power to influence worldly matters. Christianity is the second-largest religion in Myanmar, with most of its followers belonging to indigenous ethnic minorities such as the Kachin, Chin, and Naga. The largest Muslim population in Myanmar is Rakhine State, where Rohingya Muslims are often seen as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite many having lived there for generations. Anti-Muslim sentiment is widespread in Myanmar. Despite Myanmar's strong Buddhist majority, both "Myanmar" and "Burma" are derived from "Brahma," a Hindu deity with four heads (Hoang, 2020). Additionally, the king of the nats, Thagyamin, is based on the Hindu god Indra. Animism is the belief that spirits exist and inhabit all things.

Hoang, T. (2020, December 11). Religions in Myanmar (Burma). Myanmar Travel. https://myanmartravel.com/religions-in-myanmar-burma/

ABC News. (2024, March 12). How Muslim athletes keep training while fasting for Ramadan | ABC News. YouTube. https://youtu.be/gHyAcFCTm0M?si=PEc9WyWeH_XlETEk

Brittanica. (2024, August 31). Ramadan. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ramadan