Health and human rights in eastern Myanmarprior to political transition: a population-basedassessment using multistaged household clustersampling

Before Myanmar’s 2010 election and political transition, communities in eastern regions faced alarming levels of disease, child mortality, and human rights violations. This large-scale household survey—covering over 5,500 households across six areas—revealed that one in three families experienced forced labor, displacement, or other abuses in the previous year. These violations were linked to significantly higher rates of child death and malnutrition. Malaria, respiratory infections, and diarrhea were the top reported causes of death. The findings serve as a crucial baseline for tracking the impact of future humanitarian aid and development efforts on health and human rights in Myanmar.