Fresenius Medicare Care, the world's largest provider of dialysis products and services, is pleased to announce the opening of its office in Yangon, Myanmar. The move reinforces the company's commitment to support healthcare systems in providing quality care for patients with kidney disease worldwide.

With a population of over 55 million people and a growing demand for healthcare products and services, Myanmar represents an important community which Fresenius Medical Care is devoted to support. "Having a direct presence in Myanmar will enable us to better address the needs of patients, healthcare professionals and the wider community in the country," said Harry De Wit, President and CEO of Fresenius Medical Care Asia-Pacific today at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. "We will continue to identify and respond to the growing healthcare demands of the country as well as the entire Asia Pacific Region, providing our products and services to patients in need. By doing so we will be able to fulfil our vision - creating a future worth living for patients worldwide, every day."

 Reforms have paved the way for Fresenius Medical Care to expand its footprint in Myanmar. Government spending on healthcare is on the rise but the burden of non-communicable diseases is growing. In Myanmar, the incidence rate of End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is assumed to be high.  Increasing awareness on kidney disease and the importance of standards of care is thus essential to improve the quality of life of patients across the country.

"We are committed to making a difference through collaborations with all stakeholders," Dr. Thurein Htun, Country Manager of Fresenius Medical Care in Myanmar said. "By leveraging Fresenius Medical Care's experience and expertise in dialysis, we look forward to developing partnerships that contribute to the sustainable development of the country and bring benefits to the patients with kidney disease."

"Fresenius Medical Care has invested significantly into bringing capabilities into Myanmar, including a nation-wide technical services team and application training specialists. A key objective of our market presence is to be able to develop skills within our local team to the stringent standards of Fresenius Medical Care -- ensuring a knowledge and know-how transfer into Myanmar with the ultimate objective of increasing patients' outcomes. In the future, we will also look into ways to better support the patients and wider communities in Myanmar through various initiatives which will make a lasting impact on the betterment of the healthcare system in Myanmar."  Dr. Htun added.

The opening ceremony welcomed Ambassador of Germany to Myanmar, Her Excellency Dorothee Janetzke-Wenzel; Chairman of the Myanmar Kidney Foundation, Dr. Hla Aung; as well as senior officials, nephrologists and members of the business community.