Today, Minister of Health H.E. Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith concluded a seven-day assessment of more than 15 hospitals and community health facilities across Xiang Khouang and Houaphanh provinces. During his tour from 19 to 25 September 2022, the Minister reviewed the quality of healthcare services and staff, border health checks, and COVID-19 vaccination efforts, while exploring ways to improve healthcare.
“Having heard from our teams, it is clear our health professionals are working incredibly hard. But they continue to face challenges in protecting the health of our people,” said the Minister.
“We have made huge strides in many priority areas, particularly maternal and child health. However, we need to identify ways to boost the skills of our staff—getting the right people into the right jobs, at the locations they are needed most. It is also time to redouble our efforts to close vaccination gaps, for COVID-19 and regular vaccines.”
The Minister continued: “At the heart of these challenges is how we listen to communities. Our communities know what they need. We must allow their voices to guide us in building good quality and accessible health services."
Minister Phoummalaysith was accompanied by WHO Representative Dr Ying-Ru Jacqueline Lo, and Hyunkyong Kim, Country Representative for the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH), to discuss successful projects and potential solutions for the future.
The assessment included visiting communities supported by CONNECT – an initiative from the Ministries of Health and Home Affairs, supported by WHO. It brings together community leaders, leaders of ethnic groups, healthcare workers and local officials to improve health planning, trust and relationships. It has proved highly effective in improving COVID-19 vaccination rates in diverse communities, achieving 100% vaccination among vulnerable groups.
It was heartening to see the success of nurses and healthcare staff who are listening to communities and tailoring their work to address the concerns of those they serve,” said Dr Lo. “Without any additional resources, they have improved health and saved more lives.”
“At the same time, we have seen the need to protect health via full vaccination coverage. Vaccines save lives and protect families. We must close the gaps. If you have unvaccinated family members, the message is simple: get vaccinated.”
Dr Lo continued: “We look forward to continuing our support to Ministry as they build staff skills and abilities, tackle COVID-19, and ensure health is provided for all, across the country
COVID-19 vaccination rates are currently 72% of total population in Lao PDR, with elderly people and healthcare workers particularly well protected, with higher rates of 74.3% and 95.5%. However, routine immunization has fallen behind during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Discussing the assessment, KOFIH Representative Kim said: “We are thrilled to see the gains that have been made, particularly for maternal and child health, with no lives lost this year. Staff were well aware of the work required and were quick to seek support in more advanced cases. These outcomes reflect on the strong collaboration between KOFIH, the Ministry and local health facilities.”
The Ministry plans to review the observations from the assessment and explore ways to address needs and gaps. Both WHO and KOFIH indicated they stand ready to continue supporting better access to health in Lao PDR.