Lessons on malaria control in the ethnic minority regions in Northern Myanmar along the China border, 2007–2014

Background:For many countries where malaria is endemic,the burden of malaria is high in border regions.In ethnic minority areas along the Myanmar-China border,residents have poor access to medical care for diagnosis and treatment,and there have been many malaria outbreaks in such areas.Since 2007,with the support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,Tuberculosis and Malaria(GFATM),a malaria control project was introduced to reduce the malaria burden in several ethnic minority regions.Methods:A malaria control network was established during the period from 2007 to 2014.Multiple malaria interventions,including diagnosis,treatment,distribution of LLINs and health education,were conducted to improve the accessibility and quality of malaria control services for local residents.Annual cross-sectional surveys were conducted to evaluate intervention coverage and indicators of malaria transmission.Results:In ethnic minority regions where a malaria control network was established,both the annual malaria incidence(19.1 per thousand per year,in 2009;8.7,in 2014)and malaria prevalence(13.6%in 2008;0.43%in 2014)decreased dramatically during the past 5–6 years.A total of 851393 febrile patients were detected,202598 malaria cases(including confirmed cases and suspected cases)were treated,and 759574 LLINs were delivered to populations at risk.Of households in 2012,73.9%had at least one ITNs/LLINs(vs.28.3%,in 2008),and 50.7%of children less than 5 years and 50.3%of pregnant women slept under LLINs the night prior to their visit.Additionally,malaria knowledge was improved in 68.4%of residents.Conclusion:There has been great success in improving malaria control in these regions from 2007 to 2014.Malaria burdens have decreased,especially in KOK and WA.The continued maintenance of sustainable malaria control networks in these regions may be a long-term process,due to regional conflicts and the lack of funds,technology,and health workers.Furthermore,information and scientific support from the international community should be offered to these ethnic minority regions to uphold recent achievements.

Protection and Utilization of Cultural Landscape in a Forest Park in Ethnic Minority Region ——With a Case of Zhangjiajie

Presently, more and more attention is paid to cultural landscapes by peo-ple at travel ing, especial y for folk culture in ethnic minority regions where rich hu-man landscapes could be ful y made use of to improve landscape quality. In the research, cultural landscapes in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park were surveyed and evaluated to analyze characters of cultural utilization, as wel as problems existing in the Park. In addition, highlights were given to protection on cultural landscapes in a forest park construction, presentation of ethnic minority culture, and ful development of tourism products.

Regional Autonomy of China's Ethnic Minorities

The aggregate population of ethnic minorities has never accounted for more than 9 percent of China’s total, currently approaching 1.3 billion. Yet their development and prosperity have always been high on the agenda of the leaders of the People’s Republic. One of the first things Chinese leaders did after New China was founded in 1949 was to conduct large-scale studies to identify the country’s ethnic groups and name them properly, based on scientific