Crown Princess Mary was in Myanmar over the weekend to mark the launch of a new Danish-funded health centre that will help women receive information about family planning and contraception, as well as support HIV sufferers and young mothers.
She visited the Southeast Asian country together with development minister Rasmus Helveg Petersen (R) who, on Friday, announced that Denmark was giving Myanmar 85 million kroner to help tackle unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and deaths during pregnancy.
“Their traditions and culture create barriers to talking about sexual health, which makes it even harder for them to understand their bodies and make informed decisions about the consequences of sexual relationships,” Mary told DR Nyheder.
READ MORE: Denmark forgives Myanmar debt
Promoting sexual health
The 85 million kroner is being donated to the organisation Marie Stopes International, which runs a health clinic in the centre of Myanmar’s capital, Rangoon.
The organisation runs 620 health clinics and 370 mobile clinics in 40 different countries and, in 2012, provided 13.6 million men and women with contraception.
“The health clinic will provide information about contraception to help women in Myanmar avoid unwanted pregnancies. This will lead to fewer illegal abortions that, in a country like Myanmar, often have terrible consequences,” Petersen stated in a press release.
Earlier in the week, Petersen met with the Myanmar president Thein Sein and formally forgave 295 million kroner of debt owed to Denmark.
