Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law

1. This Law shall be called the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law.

2. The following expressions contained in this Law shall have the meanings given under:- (a) Communicable Disease means an infections disease which can be transmitted from man to man and from animal to man, through blood and blood products to man, and through utensils to man, and through food to man, and through vectors such as mosquito, fly, flea to man; (b) Epidemic Disease means Cholera, Plague, Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Avian Influenza. This expression also includes Communicable Diseases prescribed as Epidemic Disease by the Ministry of Health by notification; (c) Notifiable Disease means an Communicable Disease prescribed by the Ministry of Health by notification, the occurrence of which, when discovered is to be reported immediately to the authority concerned; (d) Refuse means garbage, food remnants, foul water, sluggish water, carcass of animal, dust, smoke, biological substance, chemical substance and radioactive substance emitted from mills and factories, blood, sputum, pus, saliva, urine, faeces and part of the body from man and animal. (e) Food means readily consumable or drinkable or chewable things by man. This expression also includes modified materials for eating, drinking or chewing and raw materials and addictive materials for production of food; (f) Health Officer means an officer from the Department of Health assigned to perform the duties of a Health Officer mentioned in this Law. This expression also includes officers from other Government department and organizations, assigned duties of a Health Officer by the Ministry of Health after co-ordination with the Government department and organizations concerned; (g) Health Personnel means a person who is assigned to perform the public health activities in the Ministry of Health and other respective government departments and organizations; https://www.mlis.gov.mm/lsSc.do?menuInfo=2_1_1&lawordSn=14201&query=Vehicle Safety and Motor Vehicle Management Law 1/6 7/15/2020 The Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law (MLIS) (h) Traditional Medical Practitioner means any person qualified in traditional medicine and registered under the Traditional Medical Council Law; (i) Communicable disease surveillance and response means carrying out activities for prevention, treatment and control of communicable disease including collection of diseases occurrence information, necessary medical examination for patient and contact persons, laboratory investigation, isolation, post mortem examination if required, prohibition or restriction of movements in order to prevent occurrence and outbreak of communicable disease and to control the spread thereof; (j) Isolation means separation and treatment of man, animal and separation of vehicle and other materials for prevention of diseases spread and control thereof when it occurs; (k) Prohibition and restriction of movements mean prohibition and restriction of the movement of men, animals, vehicles for prevention of diseases spread and control when necessary. <Amendment 27.01.2011> Chapter II Prevention and Response <Amendment 27.01.2011>

3. (a) In order to prevent the outbreak of communicable diseases, the Department of Health shall implement the following activities systematically under the guidance of the Ministry of Health: (i) immunization of children by injection or orally; (ii) immunization of those who have attained eligible target group including adult by injection or orally, when necessary; (iii) carrying out health education activities relating to communicable disease; (iv) carrying out the activities of surveillance, prevention and control concerning communicable disease; (v) carrying out the activities of medical examination for prevention of communicable disease in cross- border entrance and exit of the country, international airport, seaport, other necessary airport, seaport and bus terminal; (vi) prohibition or restriction of movements at home, hotel, motel and guest house; (vii) isolation of infected person of communicable disease or suspect of being infected therewith; (viii) carrying out the activities of spraying, immunization by injection or orally and environmental sanitation necessary for prevention and control according to communicable diseases; (ix) giving advice to and coordinating with relevant Government departments, organizations and non- governmental organizations for construction of healthy housing, obtaining safe drinking water and fresh water for use, proper waste disposal in order to prevent occurrence of communicable disease for workers who are carrying out activities of social and economic development; (x) carrying out other functions prescribed by the Ministry of Health, from time to time. (b) When it is found that the Epidemic Disease or Notifiable disease is infectious and spreadable from one country to another quickly, the Ministry of Health shall carry out in conformity with International Health https://www.mlis.gov.mm/lsSc.do?menuInfo=2_1_1&lawordSn=14201&query=Vehicle Safety and Motor Vehicle Management Law 2/6 7/15/2020 The Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law (MLIS) Regulation (IHR) issued by the World Health Organization. <Amendment 27.01.2011>

4. The public shall comply with the measures undertaken by the Ministry of Health and the Department of Health under section 3 in respect of prevention of the occurrence and spread of communicable disease and control thereof. <Amendment 27.01.2011> Chapter III Functions and Duties of the Health Officer

5. When a Epidemic Disease or a Notifiable Disease occurs in an area to which Health Officer is assigned, he shall perform the following duties:- (a) inspection of the infected house, food processing industry, factory, place of work, markets and shops, other necessary houses, premises, location, buildings and causing sanitation and other necessary measures to be carried out; (b) causing disinfection to be carried out in the locations mentioned in sub-section (a) and of articles, clothes, utensils and other household goods in such locations; (c) causing disinfection to be carried out in trains, motor vehicles, aircrafts, vessels and other vehicles; (d) causing chlorination of wells and ponds to be carried out; (e) causing disinfection and disinfestation of the disease agents or disease carrying agents. (f) causing necessary measures to be carried out against transmission of disease from Epidemic Disease infected corpse; (g) submitting and reporting the situation concerning the Epidemic Disease to the relevant authorized body or person to enable the issue of the restrictive or prohibitive order under section 14; (h) directing the ban or destruction of food which are unfit for human consumption; (i) directing the destruction of or ban on the sale of food causing or suspected of causing animal and animal products the spread of a Epidemic Disease or the closure of the factory, mill, place of work, market or shop producing or selling such food; (j) inspection of water supply works and laundry services and directing closure of such places if proved to be a source of transmission. <Amendment 27.01.2011>

6. The Health Officer may assign the duties which he is to perform or which he is authorized to perform to a Health Personnel.

7. The Health Officer shall obtain the cooperation of suitable persons from the Government departments, Governmental organization and other organizations of the relevant area in performing duties mentioned in section 5. <Amendment 27.01.2011> https://www.mlis.gov.mm/lsSc.do?menuInfo=2_1_1&lawordSn=14201&query=Vehicle Safety and Motor Vehicle Management Law 3/6 7/15/2020 The Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law (MLIS) Chapter IV Environmental Sanitation

8. For prevention of the outbreak of Communicable Disease and effective control of Communicable Disease when it occurs, the public shall, under the supervision an guidance of the Health Officer of the relevant area, undertake the responsibility carrying out the following environmental sanitation measures:- (a) in-door, out-door sanitation or inside the fence, outside the fence sanitation; (b) well, ponds and drainage sanitation; (c) proper disposal of refuse and destruction there of by fire; (d) construction and use of sanitary latrines; (e) other necessary environmental sanitation measures. Chapter V Reporting Communicable Disease

9. When the head of the household, any member of the household or any entrepreneur knows the occurrence of any of the following matters, he shall report immediately to the nearest health department or hospital: (a) enmasse death of animals including chicken and birds; (b) rat fall; (c) suspicion or occurrence of epidemic disease; (d) occurrence of notifiable disease. <Amendment 27.01.2011>

10. Traditional medicine practitioners, health personnel and doctors shall report immediately to the nearest health department or hospital if a case of Epidemic Disease or Notifiable Disease if found during practice. <Amendment 27.01.2011> Chapter VI Measures taken in respect of an outbreak of Epidemic Disease <Amendment 27.01.2011>

11. In order to prevent and control the spread of a Epidemic Disease, the Health Officer may undertake the following measures:- (a) investigation of a patient or any other person required; (b) medical examination; (c) causing laboratory investigation of stool, urine, sputum and blood samples to be carried out; (d) other necessary investigation; (e) prohibition of the right of movement of the vehicle carrying animal or animal product suspected of having epidemic disease. <Amendment 27.01.2011> https://www.mlis.gov.mm/lsSc.do?menuInfo=2_1_1&lawordSn=14201&query=Vehicle Safety and Motor Vehicle Management Law 4/6 7/15/2020 The Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law (MLIS)

12. The Health Officer has the right to do laboratory investigation of any food, water and other necessary materials.

13. The Health Officer shall report immediately the source to the relevant Department of Health, and the Ministry of Health of the Epidemic Disease. <Amendment 27.01.2011> Chapter VII Quarantine

14. An organization or an officer on whom power is conferred by the Ministry of Health may issue a prohibitive order or a restrictive order in respect of the following matters:- (a) right of the person suffering from Epidemic Disease to leave and return to his house; (b) right of people living in the house, ward, village or township infected by Epidemic Disease to leave and return thereto; (c) right of people from outside to enter the house, 'ward, village or township infected by Epidemic Disease; (d) if there is a person suffering from Epidemic Disease among those people arriving by train, motor vehicle, aircraft, vessel or any other vehicle, right of such person put under quarantine up to a period necessary for medical examination, to leave and return thereto; (e) when an outbreak of Epidemic Disease occurs during the time of fair and festival, right of the public to visit the site and right to continue the festival. (f) right of movement of the vehicle carrying animal or animal product suspected of having epidemic disease. <Amendment 27.01.2011> Chapter VIII Penalties

15. Whoever fails to comply with any of the measures undertaken by the Ministry of Health and the Department of Health under section 4 shall, on conviction be punished with fine not exceeding five thousand kyats. <Amendment 27.01.2011>

16. Whoever fails to comply with the directive of the Health Officer under sub-section (h), sub- section (i) or sub- section (j) of section 5 shall, on conviction be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine not exceeding fifty thousand kyats or with both. <Amendment 27.01.2011>

17. The head of the household, any member of the household or any entrepreneur who fails to comply with the provision of section 9 or any traditional medicine practitioner, health personnel or doctor who fails to comply with provision of section 10 shall, on conviction be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine not exceeding kyats thirty thousand or with both. <Amendment 27.01.2011> https://www.mlis.gov.mm/lsSc.do?menuInfo=2_1_1&lawordSn=14201&query=Vehicle Safety and Motor Vehicle Management Law 5/6 7/15/2020 The Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law (MLIS)

18. Whoever violates the prohibitive or restrictive order issued by the relevant organization or officer under section 14 shall, on conviction be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which, may extend to kyats 10000 or with both. Chapter IX miscellaneous

19. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Union of Myanmar Public Health Law 1972, the provisions of this Law shall be complied with in respect of matters relating to Communicable Diseases.

20. Prevention, control of the spread and necessary investigations in respect of AIDS epidemic diseases shall be carried out in accordance with the orders and directives issued specifically by the Ministry of Health. <Amendment 27.01.2011>

21. In order to carry out the provisions of this Law:- (a) the Ministry of Health may issue such rules and procedures as may be necessary, with the approval of the Government; (b) the Ministry of Health or the Department of Health may issue such orders and directives as may be necessary.

22. The following Acts are hereby repealed:- (a) The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897; (b) The Vaccination Act, 1909. Sd./ Than Shwe Senior General Chairman The State Law and Order Restoration Council https://www.mlis.gov.mm/lsSc.do?menuInfo=2_1_1&lawordSn=14201&query=Vehicle Safety and Motor Vehicle Management Law 6/6