CARE International's history in Myanmar
CARE first began work in Myanmar (then Burma) in 1950 through a partnership with UNESCO and has been working consistently in Myanmar since 1995.
Since then, we have helped improve living standards in rural communities by improving access to healthcare, food, livelihoods, water, sanitation, and hygiene. Together with partners, we also provide emergency aid when a disaster hits. Our crisis response includes Myanmar's March 2025, the most powerful one to strike the country in over a century.
CARE and partners' work in Myanmar today
CARE Myanmar works with communities to reduce poverty and inequalities.
We focus on:
Health
CARE and our partners help increase access to health services. We focus particularly on HIV prevention and care. We also tackle values and beliefs that prevent women from seeking health advice.
Food and water
We help communities increase access to food, water, and sanitation. CARE and our partners focus particularly on supporting children and pregnant women to improve their nutrition.
Crisis response
In times of crisis, we provide emergency aid to those who need it most and help them rebuild their lives. This work happens in different contexts, such as natural disasters, financial crises, or other situations that may create urgent, acute needs.
Making the economy work
CARE and our partners support farmers to grow crops and rear livestock, and help people access basic financial services.
Gender equality
All our programs address inequalities faced by women and girls. We help address their specific needs and shift the harmful social norms that can prevent them from achieving their full potential.
Focus on women and girls
As it happens across the CARE International Confederation, women and girls are at the heart of our work. They often suffer disproportionate impacts from crises, yet have unique potential to transform not only their lives, but also those of entire communities.
Two examples of our focus are:
- We support pregnant women to improve their nutrition to ensure their and their babies' well-being
- We engage boys, girls, men, and women to change harmful beliefs that prevent women from seeking medical support. This work can improve their health and even save lives.
For recent updates on our work in Myanmar, see here.
