Executive Summary: "The context within which progress is made for children under the programme of cooperation between the Government of Myanmar and UNICEF remains promising overall , yet still challenging. UNICEF continued to provide strong support to the development of national policies and strategies in sector s highly relevant to children ? education, health, child protection , social protection , and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) . Implementation of activities was some what delayed and decreased as a new a dministration and a new Parliament came to power. Yet, UNICEF?s engagement with multiple actors across the political spectrum since 2012, and with a particular intensity during the 2015 elections, helped preserve the initial investment in policy reforms and systems strengthening in 2016, and helped its work with the new Government . More than 100 children and young people were released from the armed forces, bringing the total to 800 since the signing of the Joint Action Plan in 2012. In targeted townships, the number of children aged 3 ? 5 years accessing early childhood facilities reached close to 155,000, an increase of 50 per cent compared wit h 2015. Five hundred newborn health corners were established and investment in cold chain strengthening this year represented 65 per cent of the p ast..."