AMI in Thailand

Objective

Bring medical assistance and drinking water supply to Burmese populations living in refugee camps in Thailand.

Context

Since 1995, Burmese civilians fleeing areas of fighting opposing Burmese ethnic minorities and the army have taken refuge in Thailand. More than 150,000 refugees [Karen, Karenni, Mon] are thus gathered in the camps along the border. They left their countries years ago and Thailand does not offer them any status [having not signed the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees]. Considered as displaced people and having few rights [not being allowed to move, work, etc.], they rely entirely on international aid to answer their fundamental needs. Since 1995, AMI has been supporting the Karen minority more specifically. AMI now focuses its activities on three camps: Nupoe, Umpiem and Mae La.

Program

AMI’s teams sustain the quality and accessibility of primary health care for displaced populations and ensure the professional training of the local medical team, in particular via the publication of the Health Messenger magazine [see pages 38-39], so as to make them self-reliant and strengthen their skills. Mental health activities and a program to treat victims of sexual and family violence were developed in 2004. Since 2005, AMI has also set up a water program and a few sanitation activities in the Mae La camp. HIV consultations and anti-retroviral treatments have been organized in the three camps.

Results

*Preventive and curative health care

• 195,547 consultations.
• Within the program against HIV/AIDS propagation:
• 135 people were screened in 2005
• 80 HIV positive people are monitored, 37 of whom receive anti-retroviral treatments
• 1,946 people benefited from nutritional supplementation programs
• 6,428 children were vaccinated
• 11,688 people were taken to hospital
• 2,281 people were referred to Thai hospitals
• 40,753 people took part in health education sessions

* Water and sanitation

• 40,023 people benefited from the water supply program [via spring and river tapping, boring and well digging]

* Training

• 250 local health agents trained
• Rehabilitation of the Nupoe hospice

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Project definition in Thailand

Localization

• Administrative representation in Bangkok. Bases in Umphang and Mae Sot
• Refugee camps in the province of Tak on the Thai-Burmese border: Nupoe camp [district of Umphang] since 1997, Umpiem camp [district of Pophra] since 2001 and Mae La camp [district of Tha Song Yang] since 2005

Beneficiaries

• Population covered: 98,195 people
• Direct beneficiaries: 88,667 beneficiaries [78,612 refugees and 10,055 village residents living near the three camps]

AMI’s team on this project

• 18 expatriates: doctors, psychologist, logistician, midwife, head of mission, medical coordinator, project manager, nurse, etc.
• 343 local staff [Thai and refugees] : doctors, nurses, lab-technicians, logisticians, administrative staff, etc.

Sources of Funds

United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR], European Community Humanitarian Office [ECHO]

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