He says current survival levels are markedly higher than those of the 1950s when nearly one in three infants died before reaching their first birthday. A keystone of these programs is a concerted effort to control communicable diseases among infants.

Inside the last 30 years obesity rates – determined by body mass indexes (BMIs) higher than 30 – have more than doubled in the United States, leaving that country with a growing problem. And the problem is not confined to the developed world – waistlines in Myanmar have begun expanding too.

“Although I already knew that eating too much oily food was not good for my health, that was the moment I began to consider it carefully myself,” said Ma Htet Htet, who started to notice small signs that her body was not in shape. For instance, it began to play on her mind that she gets tired faster than friends of the same age.

“We have more members every week because people are learning more about the health benefits they get from regular exercise. Some people tell me that before they started coming to the gym and working out they would often get sick, but regular exercise solves the problem,” .........

“Pharmacists and doctors are the main source of health information and they can advise people on buying prescription or non-prescription medicines,” says Professor U Hla Myint, president of the Myanmar Medical Council.

“In addition to pressure from my parents, there were some other things that pushed me towards medicine. Everyone thinks highly of doctors and there were no other professions I was interested in when I finished high school, so I went into medicine.”

“Just as some counterfeit medicines appear on the market disguised as internationally recognised products like aspirin, the same thing happens with traditional medicines. Whenever this occurs the Department of Indigenous Medicine takes whatever action is available against these producers to get these items off the shelf.”

Despite Daw Mya Gyi’s obvious obsession with the small monastery, work has stalled and only the foundation has been finished. The monks who live there stay in a small bamboo hut alongside the foundation but there is hope on the horizon – recent media attention has brought new offerings and donations and she is hopeful that more will soon follow.

“The brand is well known in the market although the prices are higher than similar products from other countries. But we guarantee these products for long-term use. “Most customers prefer to buy cheaper equipment to save money but in the long run the quality of the equipment is very important,”

“I was a pure vegetarian for three years and didn’t eat any meat, dairy products or eggs. But because I was having sleeping problems, I needed to find a solution, so I started drinking yoghurt regularly and occasionally eating eggs. Just like that the problem stopped.”

“In my view, having enough skilled physicians and offering quality service is more important than having the most modern medical equipment in the clinic. “These days new equipment comes out nearly every day and the ability to purchase it depends on the financial resources of the clinic,” he says.

“Our observation is that Singapore public hospitals are benefiting from Myanmar patients’ perception that they deliver better healthcare. As a result, the number of patients visiting Singaporean public hospitals is increasing,” ......

“It has been a major change in the medical field. It helps physicians to know the exact genotypes of the virus’ they are dealing with and their mutations, which is helpful for treatment,”.........

“When we began offering courses about a year ago there were three private nursing schools in Yangon, but now there are more than 20,” said Daw Khaing Myat Myat Htun, secretary of the Aung Setkyar nursing school in downtown Yangon’s Kyauktada township.

Many people must juggle work and family commitments and seldom have time to worry about their long-term health. But if people consider the adage: “Prevention is better than a cure”, many serious problems that occur later in our lives can be held at bay by keeping a close watch on our health now.