Union Minister H.E. Dr. Win Myat Aye
Listening carefully to those in need and doing everything with empathy and passion is the key to successful humanitarian assistance and disaster management.
Dr. Win Myat Aye is the Union Minister for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management of the National Unity Government, Myanmar. He was born in Pyuntazar, Naunglaybin Township, Bago Region in 1954. He received Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery Degree from the University of Medicine (1), Yangon in 1980. He received M.Med.Sc (Paediatrics) in 1994 and Dr.Med.Sc (Paediatrics) in 2006 from the University of Medicine (1), Yangon. He also holds a Diploma in Medical Education from the same university in 2006. In 2016, he received a status of Fellowship of the Royal College of Physician (FRCP) from Glasgow, the United Kingdom (UK). He served for the people of Myanmar as a civil servant for 26 years in various positions from medical doctor to Consultant Paediatrician to Professor, then from Professor to Rector. During his time as the Rector of University of Medicine, Magway from 2011 to 2014, he endeavoured to nominate the University in the World Health Organization (WHO) Avicenna Directory and got the international accreditation. He is married and has one son.
H.E. Dr. Win Myat Aye also introduced democratic practices in the university environment, brought international exposure to the students, and he was the first rector to restart in-campus hostel for university students in Myanmar. He also served as the Speaker for Education Committee in Myanmar Medical Association from 2014 to 2015. He has also a strong interest in doing charity, and formed the “Helping Hand Charity” for rural health and education development.
After retirement, his political career began as a member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Then he was elected as a representative for Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) in the 2015 General Elections. He first briefly served as the Chair of the Education Promotion Committee in Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House), and then served as the Union Minister for the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement starting from 1st April 2016. With his leadership, the ministry became one of the most high-performing and key ministries in the first civilian-led government after decades of military rule in Myanmar. The portfolios of his ministry included wide ranging areas of social welfare and protection, disaster management and rehabilitation. He chaired and co-chaired several important national committees and high-level working committees in the areas of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) resettlement and closure of the camps, mine actions, gender equality and prevention of gender-based violence, development of child, youth, women, elderly and persons with disabilities, social protection and disaster management. He was the Chair of the implementation committee for the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission; Resettlement and Socio-economic Development Working Committee; and Vice-Chair of the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine (UEHRD). He was also a member of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC). He has been one of the leading figures in the government in ensuring the fundamental human rights of all people including the rights of children, youth, girls and women, persons with disabilities and elderly.
He took part in the 2020 General Elections representing Bago Region Number (5) Constituency from the NLD party, and won his seat. After the military coup, he was appointed by the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) to continue to serve as the Union Minister for the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement up to 15.4.2021. He was then appointed as the Union Minister for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management of National Unity Government (NUG), Myanmar.