What We Do

Burma Humanitarian Mission (BHM) provides support to the Karen in three key areas:  medical supplies, medical training and constructing facilities to house and train backpack health workers.

Medical Supplies

In 2010, BHM purchased over 450,000 doses of critical medicines for use by the backpack medic teams. Given the agrarian lifestyle of the Karen, the supplies are basic and include:

  • Amoxicillin
  • Artesunate
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Doxicycline
  • Penicillin
  • Quinine sulphate
  • Terramycin

BHM also funds the purchase of additional medical supplies, to include:

  • Folic acid
  • Chlorpheniramine injectors
  • Glucose
  • Canula catheter
  • Disposable needles and syringes
  • Elastic bandages

Due to the high demand for medicine and the SPDC’s increased violence in Karen State and other Thai-Burma border areas, BHM has secured over 450,000 doses of medicine to support backpack medic teams during the first 6 months of 2011 – putting us on track to double our support this next year.

Medical Training

In 2010, BHM supported the training of two-thirds of all new medics, up from one-third of all new medics the year prior. Each medic team is made up of 3-5 core personnel who travel throughout an area, assisting villages and internally displaced personnel. Many Karen suffer from illnesses and injuries that are preventable. The medics reinforce preventive health measures while promoting positive community health standards. The medics tailor the level of treatment and teaching to match the cultural and local norms. They serve as a catalyst for village leaders to embrace community health standards. The medics also train and organize Village Health Workers to reinforce positive habits year around.

Backpack medics focus on providing three core forms of care:

- Medical care to those suffering injury or illness

- Community Health Education and Disease Prevention

- Mother and child care

Each year BHM assists in training 30 or more Karen medics. Each medic will assist between 500 to 700 Karen villagers with living saving care. Many Karen suffer from illnesses and injuries that are preventable. The medics reinforce preventive health measures while promoting positive community health standards. The medics tailor the level of treatment and teaching to match the cultural and local norms. They serve as a catalyst for village leaders to embrace community health standards. The medics also train and organize Village Health Workers to reinforce positive habits year around.

Trainees were selected based on their willingness to commit to the mission; their openness to new ideas and share them with people in the community; desire to remain in the remote areas; and their respect and appreciation of the beliefs of the Karen people. All trainees have at least an 8th grade education and are normally recommended by local/villager leaders. Men and women between 18 and 30 years of age are accepted into the training program.

Medical Training Facilities

In 2006, BHM funds built a training classroom for the Karen medics. Classroom lectures comprise sixty percent of the training while the practical, hands-on experience. In addition, BHM supported training with handbooks, notebooks, pens, visual aids, posters and pamphlets and similar medical materials.

The training requires approximately 9 months to complete. It includes:

  • First Aid and Basic Life support
  • Nursing care
  • Basic Obstetric
  • Mother and Child care
  • Basic Surgery and Advanced Life Support
  • Essential Drug knowledge
  • Community Management Programs

Trained and equipped, the backpack medics make a difference. Where the medics operate, deaths from malaria are down by 48% and deaths from dysentery are down by 51%. Deaths from diarrhea are down by 34% compared to the previous year.

Girl Determined

In 2011, BHM welcomed the opportunity to expand our reach with a project to assist at risk adolescent girls, seeking to escape the conflict areas, abusive environments and extreme poverty by forming supportive network with mentors, safe spaces and social networks. Through this construct, the girls develop the knowledge, confidence and support networks to overcome the societal restrictions and pressures that prevents them from becoming vibrant, contributing members of their communities and families.