Executive Summary: "Myanmar is committed to the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Following the ICPD Programme of Action and the 2000 Millennium Declaration, the implementation of programs for improving reproductive health and well-being is a Government priority. It is in this context that the Strategic Plan for Reproductive Health (RH) shall,provide guidance in achieving the goals set in the National RH Policy. The first Strategic Plan for Reproductive Health 2004-2008 is seen as a major response to address RH needs and challenges in Myanmar for achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 of reducing child mortality and (MDG)5 of improving maternal health. The maternal mortality in Myanmar was estimated at 580 deaths per 100,000 live births in 19901 and 316 deaths per 100,000 live births in 20052 . Unless more focused attention is given to implementing effective interventions, the MDG 5 target of reducing maternal mortality ratio to 145 per 100,000 live births by the year 2015 is not likely to be achieved. Intimately tied with maternal health status, infant and neonatal deaths contributed to about 73% and 24% of under-five deaths respectively3. Hence achieving MDG 4 target of reducing the under-five mortality to 28 per 1,000 live births by 2015 requires halving of neonatal mortality. The challenges to overcome are inadequate access to maternal and neonatal services and other reproductive health services, as well as limited resource allocation for reproductive health. A second five-year national strategic plan for reproductive health has been developed to ensure coordinated response to the reproductive health needs of women, men, adolescents a~d youth in Myanmar. The overall goal of the strategic plan is to attain a better quality of life of the people of the Union of Myanmar by contributing to the improved reproductive health status of women, men, adolescents and youth. The strategy provides a review of the reproductive health situation and services in Myanmar and· sets objectives under the following core elements: • Improving antenatal, delivery, post-partum and newborn care; • Providing quality services for birth spacing and prevention and management of unsafe . abortions; • Preventing and reducing reproductive tract infections (RTIs); sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV; cervical cancer and other gynecological morbidities; • Promoting sexual health; including adolescent reproductive health and male involvement. The strategy recognizes the centrality of reproductive health and rights in improving maternal and newborn health and achieving internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals. To attain reproductive health targets, the strategy calls for actions in the following priority areas: • Setting enabling environment; • Improving information base for decision making; • Strengthening health systems and capacity for delivery of quality reproductive health services; • Improving community and family practices. The above actions will be led by the Ministry of Health and supported by the National Working Committee for Reproductive Health to oversee the implementation of the Strategic Plan, to coordinate the partners? contributions and to advocate for increased resource mobilization."