In this research note, researchers from the Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity (MAPSA) provide an overview of the state of food security and nutrition in Myanmar using a recently collected household dataset. We examine food security using a household hunger scale and a food consumption score. To examine the state of nutrition, we examine the diet quality of individuals across Myanmar for three separate but important sections of population: (1) adults (18+ years), (2) women of reproductive age (15-49 years), and (3) children (6-23 and 6-59 months).
We explore these indicators using three rounds of the Myanmar Household Welfare Survey (MHWS) collected over the phone in the first three quarters of 2022 – hereafter Q1, Q2 and Q3 – among over 12,000 households in 310 townships of Myanmar. MWHS is a nationally, urban/rural and state/region representative phone survey (MAPSA 2022a). We use standard food security and diet diversity measures for each of the three subpopulations to examine trends over the three rounds as well as explore heterogeneity with respect to gender, location of residence, and asset and income-based welfare indicators. We also look at disaggregated consumption of the different food groups that constitute the diet diversity measures to investigate the change in the consumption pattern of individuals. Finally, we use regression analysis to look at predictors of food insecurity and inadequate diet diversity, including household wealth and income, selfreported shocks, food prices, and household characteristics.
Key Findings
• The state of food security and nutrition has deteriorated in Myanmar in 2022.
• Four percent of households were in moderate to severe hunger in July/August 2022. Hunger was highest in Kayah (9.8 percent), Chin (9.9 percent), and Tanintharyi (12.6 percent).
• Households with a low food consumption score increased from 9.4 percent in December 2021/January 2022 to 17.2 percent in July/August 2022. The shares in July/August were highest in Kayah (27.5 percent), Chin (46.1 percent), and Magway (25.5 percent).
• Inadequate diet diversity among adults rose from 20.6 percent to 27.6 percent over the same period with rates higher for women, especially in rural areas.
• Decreases in diet quality among adults is driven by lower consumption of milk and dairy products as well as Vitamin A rich fruits, meat, fish, and eggs.
• More than a third of all children aged 6-23 months and 15.8 percent of all children aged 24-59 months have inadequate diet quality, with no significant changes in 2022.
• Regression analysis reveals low income and limited assets to be important risk factors for food security and adequate diet quality. Wage workers and low wage communities as well as recently migrated people are found to be particularly vulnerable. Rising food prices, conflict and physical insecurity also increase the likelihood of poor diet quality.
• Receiving remittances is a source of resilience; remittance-receiving households are less likely to experience hunger or poor dietary diversity at the household, adult and child level.
Recommended actions
• Expanded implementation of nutrition-sensitive social protection programs, including maternal and child cash transfers, particularly to vulnerable groups is called for.
• Given the importance of remittances as an effective coping mechanism, supporting migration and the flow of remittances would help to improve the welfare of the Myanmar population.
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