ADB extends healthcare project to improve child, maternal health
Introduction: The Asian Development Bank known as ADB injected funding to improve health and nutrition, particularly among poor, women and children and ethnic groups in rural areas in Xayaboury province.
According to ADB country Director Sandra Nicoll, the Lao government has set goals for the health sector, which aim to achieve all the health-related MDGs by 2015 and attain universal coverage in healthcare by 2020.
[youtube id=”vVyQQiLDQFw” width=”720″ height=”405″ position=”left”]
Story: ADB hosted the Media tour to Xayaboury province recently aiming to increase public understanding and awareness, through local media, on the result of partnership between the government of the Lao PDR and ADB.
The press tour covers project sites including provincial hospital, health centers and community benefited form the projects in Paklai district, Xayaboury province to observe impact of ADBs’ assistance and cooperation between ADB and the government of the Lao PDR to health improve health and nutrition of populations in underserved areas in Laos through the project implementation
Interview: Sandra Nicoll, ADB country Director
ADB and the government of Laos’ cooperation and development in primary health care delivery and rural access road improvement through the health system development project and the Northern GMS Transport Network Improvement Project respectively in three areas as improving primary health care delivery, strengthening capacity for health system development including human resource development, planning, budgeting and coordination among the health network, improving rural access roads and connecting the roads to highway
Interview: Sandra Nicoll, ADB country Director.
Health indicators of Laos such as maternal and infant mortality rates are among the worst in Asia. To achieve the goal of health for all, the government of Laos has adopted the Millennium Development strategy, In particular targeting rural poor, ethnic minorities and women and children.
Interview: Sandra Nicoll, ADB country Director
It is recorded that, Lao PDR’s key health indicators such as maternal and infant mortality rates are among the worst in Asia. To achieve the goal of health for all, the Government of Lao PDR has adopted the Millennium Development Goals and primary health care (PHC) strategy, in particular targeting rural poor, ethnic minorities, and women and children. With its ongoing project, ADB s Loan 1749 supports PHC expansion in 8 northern provinces and strengthening institutional capacity for PHC management nationwide.
A network of health facilities has been put in place and volunteers have been trained to improve access. Paramedics and villagers are being trained, many of them from ethnic minorities. This expanded PHC system provides the basis for improving sector impact. However, the health system faces chronic underfunding, management constraints, lack of qualified staff for rural locations, and lack of public education.
Source: Lao National Television News in English
Broadcast on September 30, 2014
