Health and Nutrition

In Laos, health indicators are improving since the past decades: between 1990 and 2019, life expectancy has gone from 53 to 67 years-old and child mortality rates from 105.4 per 1 000 to 36.4 (data: World Bank, 2019). However, in Northern communities, access to health services is still limited. Health centers don’t have appropriate or enough equipment to provide services at community level; and staff is limited. Most communities said to be “afraid” to go to a health center for a consultation, even pregnant women for making sure that their baby is in good health. Delivery at home present risks of death in case of difficulties (breech delivery, no-breathing child, hemorrhages, …).

Malnutrition is still also a major concern in Lao PDR, and moreover in Northern provinces:

33% of children under 5 years are stunted at national level; up to 54 % in Phongsaly province and 42.7 % in Oudomxay;

42 % of women in reproductive age suffer from anemia in Phongsaly;

Only 32,4 % of women meet their minimum diet diversity needs at national level, only 10% in Phongsaly

According to World Health Organization, prevalence of stunting above 40% is considered as a critical public health problem. Children in rural areas are 2 to 3 times more likely to be stunted than in urban settings.

for more data, please visit the link of the National Information Platform for Nutrition:

Improving nutritional status of children and access to health services at community level corresponds to CCL strategy that aims at improving the living conditions of rural communities in Northern Lao.

WHAT WE DO?

Providing equipment to health facilities;

Capacity building of health center staff: on growth monitoring, Infant Young Child Feeding counselling, family planning, …;

Support to create a network between nutrition community volunteers and health centers;

Health & Nutrition education at community level, especially women in reproductive age, lactating and pregnant women, adolescent girls and mother with children under 2 years;

Nutrition education in schools (primary and secondary schools in remote villages);

Support to school feeding program;

Support to local policies on nutrition: support to District Nutrition Committees for coordination, nutrition dashboard, village development plan on nutrition.

FOR WHICH RESULTS?