Managing COVID-19 requires achieving a careful balance between necessary steps to prevent the spread of the disease and minimizing economic disruption from preventative measures. In their research, Than Zaw Oo, Isabel Lambrecht, Derek Headey, and Sophie Goudet utilize findings from a national COVID-19 community survey to assess the direct and indirect economic and social impacts of COVID-19. They also provide policy recommendations and long-term strategies for the Government of Myanmar and its development partners.
You can view the full note by Than Zaw Oo Isabel, Derek, and Sophie in English here.
Background
To better understand both the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on Myanmar’s diverse rural and urban communities, the Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity (MAPSA) conducted a multi-round large-scale community phone survey covering approximately half of Myanmar’s 356 townships. The October survey round represents the fourth round of this survey and earlier survey rounds were conducted in June/July, August, and September. Unlike conventional household surveys, this study asked respondents not about themselves or their households but about their communities, defined as either a rural village or an urban ward. The specific objectives of the survey were to assess community conditions pertaining to:
- COVID-19 prevention measures;
- Poverty and food insecurity;
- Access to social safety nets or other forms of assistance;
- Migration – inward and outward;
- Disease prevalence and disruptions to health services;
- Exposure to different kinds of shocks;
- Problems with agricultural production and marketing; and
- Priorities for public investments or programs in the local community.
Key findings
COVID-19 prevention measures are at their highest level since June. Almost all COVID‑19 prevention measures have been applied in a larger share of communities than in any of the previous survey rounds (Figure 1). In nearly all communities, respondents reported restrictions on gatherings, such as weddings or other social activities, and mandates on wearing face masks outside the home. Many communities also implemented measures that interfere with employment and income-generating activities; 70 percent of communities reported that residents cannot leave the village/ward for work or trade and 76 percent reported that food vendors and traders are not allowed to enter the village.
Community respondents perceive a quarter of households to be extremely poor. Respondents to the October round of the survey reported that on average 25 percent of households in their communities are extremely poor (Figure 2), which is similar to levels reported in September (27 percent), but much higher than was reported in the June/July (17 percent) and August (11 percent) rounds. Reduced income due to less work or lower wages for non-farm workers and less income from non-farm businesses are mentioned as the primary reasons for the high prevalence of extremely poor households in the most recent round.
Cash-based assistance reaches 90 percent of communities. In June/July, government assistance came mostly in the form of food, but since August has changed to predominantly non-food assistance. Twenty percent of communities reported receiving non-food assistance in June/July. Respondents reported in October that on average 90 percent of communities received cash or non-food assistance from the government, a level similar to that reported in September.
Agricultural production and marketing, particularly sales of agricultural commodities, continues to face challenges. One-third of the surveyed communities reported that the production of farmers in their community was lower than normal in October and September, compared with 48 percent of communities in June/July and 42 percent in August. Communities reported that bad weather and pests were the reasons for lower production. In October, 48 percent of communities also reported disruptions to agricultural sales, mainly due to closures of town/city markets, low output prices, insufficient traders or brokers, and other COVID‑19 related mobility restrictions. This is the highest share of communities reporting disruptions since the start of the telephone survey in June/July.
Barriers to healthcare facility access and delays to healthcare seeking. Respondents from 11 percent of communities reported being unable to visit healthcare facilities when they wanted to, and respondents from 25 percent of communities reported postponing visits to healthcare professionals out of fear of contracting COVID-19. Additionally, 19 percent of respondents mentioned knowing people in their community who had felt ill and would normally have visited a healthcare provider but chose not to do so due to fear of being suspected of carrying COVID-19. Fortunately, fewer villages reported medication scarcity than was the case in the June/July survey round.
The policy implications of the above key findings are discussed in-depth in the IFPRI-Myanmar Summary Note, “Community perceptions of the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 in Myanmar: Insights from a National COVID-19 Community Survey – October 2020”.
This blog post highlights one of the many recent surveys and policy notes that MAPSA has conducted to assess the emerging constraints that key agricultural actors face and to mitigate the possible impacts of COVID-19 on rural livelihoods and food security. Additional blog posts are available highlighting MAPSA’s research on the impact of COVID-19 on key actors in Myanmar’s agri-food system. Surveys are ongoing, and findings and recommendations will be periodically updated.
Related blog posts
- Crop trading during the pandemic: Lessons learned in Myanmar (August)
- Waves of disease, waves of poverty: New evidence on the economic impacts of COVID-19 in Myanmar
- COVID-19 and business responses: How are Yangon's poultry farmers adapting to the pandemic? (August)
Than Zaw Oo is a Research Analyst in the Development Strategy and Governance Division (DSGD) of the International Food Policy Research Institute, based in Yangon. Isabel Lambrecht is a Research Fellow in DSGD of IFPRI, based in Yangon. Derek Headey is a Senior Research Fellow with the Food Consumption and Nutrition Division of IFPRI, based in Yangon. Sophie Goudet is an independent nutrition researcher and consultant to IFPRI, based in Yangon.
This blog post was prepared by Michael Wang, Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellow in DSGD of IFPRI, based in Yangon. The analysis and opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of the authors.
