Buying Covid-19 vaccines from abroad for over 50 million people of Myanmar will plunge the country deep into poverty, so efforts must be exerted to produce them domestically, said Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, State Administration Council Chairman and Prime Minister. 

He made the remark during the seventh coordination meeting on Covid-19 prevention, control and treatment held in Nay Pyi Taw on August 9.

He outlined five points on the Covid-19 response measures.

“I would like to highlight five points about COVID-19. First of all, this is a disease that cannot be wiped out completely as I just said. Therefore, we need to create a favourable environment. For example, healthy living styles and systems that we must encourage. This depends on knowledge and education while living standards rely on incomes and so on. Economy must be healthy. The government must earn a lot of revenue in the similar way as the people. Only when the government earns a lot of earnings, can it be able to create a favourable environment like parks and drainage systems. As for individuals, they will be able to create a favourable environment by keeping their house neat and safe from rain and wind. We can create such a favourable environment. It is of utmost importance to create a favourable environment. It is likely that both the government and the people will have to exert efforts,” the Senior General said. 

For the second point, he stressed the need to boost the immunity health and fitness of individuals, meaning that sports and games must be encouraged.

As to the third point, the Senior General said: “The third factor is the abundance of food because they will be strong when they have enough to eat. Only when they are strong, will they have immunity. There is no way to have immunity without strength. It is necessary for them to undergo training to be fit. Only when they take training, will their immunity be boosted. We need to take measures to that end. Therefore, we need to take steps to enable them to eat. To do so, nothing can hinder us from having abundant supplies of food as ours is, as I just said, a country based on agriculture and livestock breeding. We just need to exert efforts. If we take measures to have abundant supplies of food, we will be able to contribute significantly to the health of the people. If we combine this with the favourable environment and can take measures for health and fitness, it will be of great benefits for prevention of the disease. On the other hand, it is necessary to supply sufficient medical supplies for treatments and vaccines for prevention. Both medicines for treatments and vaccines for prevention are essential for the future. We must produce medicines for treatment and vaccines for prevention in the future in the country without fail. If we had to buy them for more than 50 million people all the time, our country could be ruined. Therefore, we must exert efforts to manufacture them domestically.” 

The Senior General also outlined the fifth point as the importance of paving the way for the people to earn high income as nothing can be done without it.

“In our country, successive governments said they tried to reduce the poverty rate but the goal has not been fully achieved until now. With the outbreak of Covid-19, the situation has worsened and the poverty rate has risen. Therefore, we will have to take measures to help people to earn incomes. One way of earning income is, as I just said, to get money from agriculture and livestock breeding tasks, for which we have favourable conditions. Therefore, I would like to urge state and regional governments to take effective measures from the leading role,” he commented.