This movie follows Sithu Min Than, a young man from Kachin State in Myanmar, struggling to recover with the help of opiate substitution treatment.
Sithu Min Than, a young man from Kachin State in Myanmar, began using heroin in college. After five unsuccessful attempts to quit, finally with the support of his family and methadone maintenance therapy, he is managing his habit. Now, he supports other people who use drugs, letting them know about services that are available and how to reduce their risk of harm.
Unfortunately, the struggle with drug dependency and drug use is common. There are an estimated 83,000 people currently injecting drugs in Myanmar, with this figure rising every year. Many of them are concentrated in border areas like Kachin State, where drug use is most pronounced as a result of conflict, poverty, limited livelihood opportunities, migration for jade and gold commercial activities and easy access to cheap drugs.
Sithu Min Than’s story, told through a video created by UNOPS/3MDG and local partner Metta, highlights how vulnerable people may be to using drugs, and raises understanding of drug use and drug dependency. The video has been shared widely with community members, young people, people who use drugs and parliamentarians to reduce stigma around drug use, improve access to prevention and care services, and grow understanding of drug addiction as a health condition.
Article: Taniele Jalee
Director: Sai Kong Kham
