
The Myanmar Children's Health Project (MCHP) is a non-profit student-led organization that provides funds and facilities for the vaccination of children in Myanmar. They believe that all children deserve access to quality healthcare regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion or wealth. In Myanmar, Hepatitis B affects 6.4% of the population and children are particularly vulnerable to chronic Hepatitis B, a viral disease that eventually leads to liver scarring and cancer. Currently, the Myanmar government has no program for free immunization for Hepatitis B except for those who are born in hospitals and clinics, which the majority of the population cannot afford. This is why the 23-member team of high school students has decided to make positive change. They have organized, facilitated, and funded the vaccination of 1,163 children in rural areas, and are currently working on their latest project, which will inoculate approximately 300 more children. The students work with the doctors and nurses from the Ministry of Health. Currently, they are in contact with four schools that have a total of 2,000 children. These children live in rural regions of Myanmar, often below the poverty line and they lack stable access to healthcare. The students need the funds to subsidize further immunizations, so that they can help prevent the spread of Hepatitis B and create a difference in each and every one of these children's lives.