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LuxDev, agence luxembourgeoise pour la Coopération au développement

• 2021
• • 13 Décembre
  • Par Undraa Bayanaa
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  • Bureau Asie LAO/027
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  Luxembourg provides an additional 1.2 million EUR (14.6 billion LAK) to support the COVID-19 response in Lao PDR

  The Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg continues to support its partner country, Laos, to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases, Luxembourg’s Development Cooperation has committed an additional 1.2 million EUR (14.6 billion LAK) to detect, mitigate and prevent the spread of the virus. This additional financial support raises the Government of Luxembourg’s total contribution for the successful implementation of the COVID-19 preparedness and response plan in Laos to 5.2 million EUR (63.3 billion LAK).   

  Mr. Sam Schreiner, Chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Luxembourg in Laos, handed over a symbolic cheque of 1.2 million EUR (14.6 billion LAK) to Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health, during an official handover ceremony at the Ministry of Health in Vientiane capital. © LuxDev

  An official handover ceremony was held on December 10, 2021, at the Ministry of Health in Vientiane capital. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health, senior members of the Ministry of Health, representatives of the Bolikhamxay, Vientiane and Khammouane provincial health departments as well as representatives of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (Department of International Cooperation), and representatives of the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Europe-America Department). The ceremony was attended by H.E. Mr. Sam Schreiner, Chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Luxembourg in Laos, Mr. Quentin Bourdeaux, Resident Representative of LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, representatives of the LAO/027 health sector support programme, as well as representatives of the Pasteur Institute in Laos (IPL), the World Food Program (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). 

  

  In coordination with the Ministry of Health, Luxembourg’s Development Cooperation provides this additional funding to the World Food Program (WFP), the Pasteur Institute in Laos (IPL), and the Lao-Luxembourg Heath Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027). Through this latest funding assistance, Luxembourg’s support is expected: 

  • to guarantee the supply of food and essential items to returning Lao migrant workers placed in quarantine centers via the WFP (481,000 EUR, equivalent to 5.9 billion LAK);
  • to contribute to the increase of the diagnostic capacities of COVID-19 cases via the IPL (350,000 EUR, equivalent to 4.2 billion LAK);
  • to provide support to the COVID-19 response at the national and provincial levels through the LAO/027 health programme (369,000 EUR, equivalent to 4.5 billion LAK).

  Luxembourg’s Development Cooperation is supporting the Ministry of Health and the three central provinces of Bolikhamxay, Vientiane, and Khammouane with equipment and training, and by facilitating the supply of essential goods such as personal protective equipment (PPE), viral transport media (VTM) and infection and prevention control (IPC) and decontamination supplies, which are currently in high demand. The LAO/027 programme is also supporting the Pasteur Institute in Laos and the National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology with laboratory equipment, reagents, and consumables to meet the testing needs.

  As the pandemic is exacerbating the inequalities and hardships faced by already vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls, the LAO/027 programme continues to work alongside national and provincial healthcare providers to ensure the delivery of essential primary healthcare services, including quality Mother, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) services.  

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency. 

   

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• • 27 Août
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  • Bureau Asie LAO/027
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  LAOS - Distribution of hospitality bags to returning migrant workers

  Between July and August 2021, the Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) has been providing essential personal care items to more than 1,000 Laotian migrant workers, returning to their hometowns. As neighbouring countries are facing an important wave of COVID-19 outbreak since April, caused by the highly contagious Delta variant, Laos has suddenly seen thousands of its migrant workers - mostly young adults, some with small children – returning home, putting a strain on quarantine facilities as well as on the overall health care system.

  The surges in case numbers have prompted travel bans and extension of nationwide lockdown measures. International travel in South-East Asia remains essentially closed, but Lao migrant workers and nationals are allowed to return home through international border checkpoints; however, after crossing the border, they must undergo a 14-days quarantine in temporary accommodation centres set up by the provincial authorities (International Organization for Migration, Situation report, August 2021). 

  

  LAO/027 programme staff preparing hospitality bags in Vientiane capital (July 2021)

  The COVID-19 mobility restrictions have compounded the vulnerability of some migrants and their challenges of returning home. To ensure a safe and dignified return home and to support the individuals currently in quarantine centres, the LAO/027 programme staff has prepared and dispatched some 1,000 hospitality bags (worth EUR 16,000) to the health authorities in the three central provinces of Vientiane (200 bags), Bolikhamxay (300 bags), and Khammouane (500 bags).

  Truck sent to Khammouane province (August 2021)

  The hospitality bags are being handed over to people entering the provincial quarantine facilities and each bag contains basic hygiene supplies such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, towels, washing powder, toilet paper, waste plastic bags, reusable meal sets, dishwashing liquid and sponge, mosquito net, thin blankets, surgical masks, and hand sanitizers. 

  

  Distribution of hospitality bags at the Phonehong quarantine facility (August 2021)

  Labour migration is an important livelihood option for the Lao rural workforce and the most common destination country for Lao migrant workers is Thailand. Since the beginning of the pandemic, however, around 246,000 Lao workers have gradually returned home (Vientiane Times, July 2021). This phenomenon did not only affect Laos, as, indeed, the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global human mobility due to travel restrictions, border closures and lockdown measures to curb the spread of the virus, has left millions of migrants stranded across the world (International Labour Organisation, Quarterly Briefing Note, 2021). 

  Continuing to support the returning migrant workers and their families, often with very young children, but also pregnant women, older persons, students, and those seeking medical attention, is crucial. So far, 60% of the LAO/027 supported hospitality bags, were distributed to women.

  Distribution of hospitality bags at a COVID-19 treatment facility in Khammouane province (August 2021) 

  Distribution of hospitality bags in Vientiane province (August 2021)

  The Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg is deeply involved in supporting its partner country, Laos, in its efforts to avoid the spread of the virus and to protect the most vulnerable population groups from the disease. Through the LAO/027 health programme, Luxembourg is continuing to provide support to the Lao health authorities to implement measures where a gap in capacity and resources have been identified at national and subnational levels.

  Earlier in June 2021, Luxembourg has committed an additional EUR 1,000,000 (equivalent to LAK 11.5 billion) to detect, mitigate and prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Laos. The LAO/027 health programme is currently supporting 6 of the 10 pillars of the National COVID-19 Preparedness Response Plan 2020. Through this latest funding assistance, Luxembourg’s support is expected to: 

  • strengthen case management and detection, monitoring and surveillance capacities;
  • maintain and support temporary provincial isolation and treatment centres; 
  • support infection prevention and control (IPC) mechanisms and surge capacities; 
  • enhance operational support and logistics;
  • acquire staff support, IPC consumables and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

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• • 29 Juin
  • Par Undraa Bayanaa
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  • Bureau Asie LAO/027
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  LAOS - Capacity development for ophthalmic nursing in Lao PDR

  According to the data published by the World Health Organization in the “Global strategy on human resources for health: Workforce 2030”, there is a global shortage of health workers, mostly in low-and lower-middle-income countries, with nurses and midwives representing over 50% of the current shortage in health workers. This shortage of health workers equally affects the eye care sector, showing an important unmet demand for ophthalmic nurses and doctors. As the population worldwide is aging, chronic eye diseases such as cataract and glaucoma are becoming the leading causes of blindness and visual impairment amongst elderly men and women.  

  In Laos, despite the increasing number of trained eye care practitioners over the last years, it was observed that eye care services were less attended in 2020 and 2021, in parallel with the general reduction in hospital consultations, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has severely affected the provision of eye care services by mobile teams in remote districts, thereby increasing the risk of permanent vision loss due to the postponement of essential eye care.

  

  The Director of the National Ophthalmology Center (NOC), Dr Khamkhoun Hosavanh, handed over a certificate to an ophthalmic nurse during the ophthalmology nursing graduation ceremony at the NOC in Vientiane capital (June 2021). © LuxDev

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) has established a long-standing collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the University of Health Sciences to identify and support human resource development needs in the health sector. 

  In particular, the LAO/027 programme is collaborating with the National Ophthalmology Center in Vientiane capital and with The Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) to develop the ophthalmology care capacity in the three provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay and Khammouane. Since 2018, under a service agreement with the FHF, the LAO/027 programme is supporting the provision of upgrading and clinical specialization programmes for eye care and is offering various short- and long-term scholarships to provide additional training to eye nurses and specialist doctors. 

  Investing in people

  The delivery of quality ophthalmic care directly depends on adequate training of specialized staff. To meet the training needs for eye care nursing in Laos, a short-term training programme was specifically designed for qualified nurses to strengthen the provision of healthcare and the management of people with ophthalmic diseases. 

  On 22 June 2021, thirteen ophthalmology nurses have successfully completed a four-months training programme as ophthalmic nurses at the National Ophthalmology Center in the Vientiane capital, with ten graduates from the provincial and district hospitals of Khammouane (2), Bolikhamxay (4) and Vientiane (4) provinces supported by the LAO/027 programme.

  This brings the total number of scholarships offered by Luxembourg to upgrade the qualifications and capacities of ophthalmology nurses to thirty-one (21 female and 10 male ophthalmic nurses) between 2018 and 2021. 

  

  Ophthalmic nursing graduation ceremony at the National Ophthalmology Center (June 2021). © LuxDev 

  This training programme covers every aspect of ophthalmic nursing, including the physiology of the eye, diseases that affect the eye, clinical management, and the complexities of managing people with a variety of eye disorders. After the training programme, the ophthalmology nurses are posted in provincial and district hospitals to provide basic eye care services and to raise awareness among their communities on avoidable blindness through community outreach activities. 

  Besides the short-term Ophthalmic nursing programme, the LAO/027 programme is supporting the following eye care focused courses, in collaboration with the FHF:

  • Blindness course for ophthalmologists (one-week workshop for trained ophthalmologists);
  • Basic Eye Doctor (BED) training (one-year training programme for general practitioners and newly graduated medical doctors);
  • Ophthalmologist Specialist Residency (three-years specialization programme to train Basic Eye Doctors to become Ophthalmologists; 1 year in Thailand, 2 years in Laos) 

  Investing in equipment and technology 

  While investing in training capacity is one of the key components to building a stronger health workforce and strengthening the health system, the LAO/027 programme is also supporting the creation of an enabling environment for ophthalmology services in the health facilities in the three provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay, and Khammouane.

  

  Cataract surgery at the Bolikhamxay provincial hospital in July 2020. © LuxDev

  To reinforce the scope and the quality of curative ophthalmological services at the provincial level, the LAO/027 programme has renovated the old ophthalmology unit of the Bolikhamxay provincial hospital and has provided additional eye care equipment for eye surgeries.  

  The ophthalmology surgical department established at the Bolikhamxay provincial hospital opened its doors last year in July 2020 and is staffed by a qualified ophthalmologist team trained in Thailand and at the University of Health Sciences in Vientiane capital. The Bolikhamxay provincial hospital provides care and treatment services, including services for eye-related diseases such as cataract and glaucoma. 

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

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• • 10 Juin
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  LAOS - Luxembourg provides an additional 1 million EUR to support COVID-19 response in Lao PDR

  The Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg continues to work alongside its partner country, Laos, to strengthen the national capacities to detect, assess and respond to acute public health events. In response to the recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases, Luxembourg, through the Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027), has committed an additional 1,000,000 EUR (equivalent to 11.5 billion LAK) to detect, mitigate and prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the country. 

  An official handover ceremony was held on 10th June 2021, at the Ministry of Health in Vientiane in the presence of Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health, senior members from the Ministry of Health, the National Centre of Laboratory and Epidemiology, the Institut Pasteur du Laos, representatives from the Embassy of Luxembourg in Laos, and representatives from the LAO/027 health programme.

  

  Mr. Sam Schreiner, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Luxembourg in Laos and Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health, during an official handover ceremony at the Ministry of Health in Vientiane capital. (June, 2021)

  Mr. Sam Schreiner, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Luxembourg, congratulated the Government and the people of Laos for the, so far, successful handling of the ongoing crisis and stated that a strong COVID-19 response should include, besides a rapid vaccination drive, a comprehensive surveillance and testing strategy. In this regard, support to strengthen laboratory capacity is essential for the rapid detection of positive cases and the roll out of a timely response to contain the spread. Mr. Schreiner furthermore stressed the “absolute need for close donor coordination with the Government of Laos in the ongoing fight against COVID-19 in order to avoid any unfortunate duplication of efforts or gaps and to husband the all too rare resources”. 

  In coordination with the Ministry of Health, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation will provide this additional funding to the National Centre of Laboratory and Epidemiology (NCLE) and the Institut Pasteur du Laos (IPL), the two official laboratories for sample screening. The additional funds will, amongst others, be used to support the procurement of laboratory equipment, reagents, and swabs to meet the high demand for testing. 

  Furthermore, the LAO/027 health programme is continuing to support the Ministry of Health and the three Luxembourg supported provinces of Bolikhamxay, Khammouane and Vientiane, through the acquisition of medical devices, personal protective equipment (PPE) and consumables which are currently in high demand. 

  Through this latest funding assistance, Luxembourg’s support is expected to:  

  • strengthen case management, detection, monitoring and surveillance capacities;
  • maintain and support temporary provincial isolation and treatment facilities;
  • support infection prevention and control (IPC) mechanisms and surge capacities;
  • enhance operational support and logistics; and 
  • provide technical support, IPC consumables and personal protective equipment (PPE) support. 

  This support is part of the Team Europe joint response and is in addition to the 3,000,000 EUR (34.5 billion LAK), which were transferred in 2020 by the Government of Luxembourg to support the Government of Lao PDR’s COVID-19 preparedness and response.

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency. 

   

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• • 8 Juin
  • Par Undraa Bayanaa
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  • Bureau Asie LAO/027
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  LAOS - Neurology remote training for health professionals in Lao PDRTraining offered under the Thailand – Luxembourg – Laos Trilateral Cooperation

  The Lao – Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) launched its first remote training under the LuxNet platform in Laos. The Neurology for non-neurologists training was held between 17 and 21 May 2021 and was presented by clinicians and neurology specialists from the Neurological Institute of Thailand (NIT). 26 health professionals from the three Luxembourg supported provinces of Bolikhamxay, Vientiane and Khammouane attended the five-days intensive remote training via Zoom.

  

  Remote neurology training provided by the Neurological Institute of Thailand (May 2021). 

  The objective of the training was to increase the knowledge, understanding and skills of health personnel who are involved in providing care to patients in this area of specialisation. Providing neurology training in Laos is crucial taking into consideration that disease profiles, health-seeking behavior and clinical requirements are changing in the country. Indeed, hospitals are expected to see a substantial increase in lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and stroke.

  The online training offered by the NIT consisted of 35 different lectures targeted to physicians and practicticing registered nurses. The five-days intensive online education (6-7 hrs/day) consisted of live webinars and group discussions. During the lectures, the participants had the opportunity to learn about neurological assessment, anatomy and physiology, and the clinical aspects and treatment of such disorders including trauma brain injury, stroke, and seizures. The topics covered included for instance: seizure management in pregnancy and other special situations, common pediatric neurological diseases, nursing management for epilepsy and stroke patients. 

  The LuxNet training platform 

  Conventional face-to-face training is challenged due to travel restrictions and current social distancing measures; in response, the LAO/027 programme has accelerated the introduction of remote teaching and training mechanisms in the health sector in Laos. 

  The remote neurology training is part of the broader LuxNet training platform established by the LAO/027 health programme to strengthen human resource capital development. Improving the skills of health workforce, forecasting the workforce needs in the short and medium term, and ensuring that the most appropriate skill-mix is available in the hospitals, are some of the key focus areas of the LAO/027 programme. The remote trainings are designed: 

  • to provide continuous, routine, short-term training to health service providers; 
  • to encourage peer learning under national and international experts' mentorship; 
  • to establish an on-site remote training environment at provincial and district hospital levels.

  The LAO/027 programme is supporting key stakeholders for effective use of the LuxNet platform. The provincial hospitals in the three Luxembourg supported provinces of Bolikhamxay, Khammouane, and Vientiane, have already received a LuxNet installation. The installation of LuxNet is currently being rolled out to the Ministry of Health, the National Health Insurance Bureau, the provincial and district health offices, and to 28 preselected district hospitals.

  Trilateral Cooperation between Thailand, Luxembourg, and Laos

  The LuxNet initiative aims to improve communication between a network of stakeholders from academia, teaching and technical partners providing remote teaching and training. The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has been linked to the LuxNet platform as the active participation of national training institutions is critical. The UHS is currently responsible for identifying the training needs and for connecting the national academic training institutions to the different provincial hospitals. 

  In addition, LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, is collaborating with the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) in the field of public health. TICA plays an important role in facilitating cooperation with Thai hospitals and training institutions. The long-term goal is to establish collaborative partnerships between Laos and Thailand in the health sector (e.g., through the twinning of Lao provincial hospitals with Thai border hospitals, through the development of a telemedicine hub in Laos and Thailand, and through the provision of technical assistance and short-term trainings by Thai health experts). 

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

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• • 5 Mai
  • Par Undraa BAYANAA
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  • Bureau Asie LAO/027
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  LAOS – Ongoing health support during the COVID-19 pandemic

  The Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, through the Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027), is deeply involved in supporting the Government of Lao PDR in its COVID-19 preparedness and response.

  As the country weathers a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases, the LAO/027 programme continues to coordinate with the Ministry of Health and other international partners to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national healthcare system.  

  As part of Luxembourg’s COVID-19 grant support, three ‘Decontamination Unit’ vehicles and decontamination equipment were handed over to the Ministry of Health in January 2021 to strengthen provincial authorities’ ability to respond to potential coronavirus infections.

  These Decontamination Unit vehicles are today fully operational in the three provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay and Khammouane. A team of well trained and equipped professionals is currently providing a rapid and mobile response in each of the three provinces. The Decontamination Unit is responsible for the disinfection and decontamination of healthcare and non-healthcare settings potentially contaminated by coronavirus such as isolation facilities, hospitals, official buildings as well as other locations where suspected, probable, and confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been.

  ^{Decontamination at a quarantine centre in Phonhong, Vientiane Province (March 2021) © LuxDev}

  ^{Disinfection at a COVID-19 treatment facility in Khammouane Province (April 2021) © LuxDev}

  ^{Disinfection at the Provincial Health Department (PHD) Office in Vientiane Province (April 2021) © LuxDev}

  ^{Disinfection at the Bolikhamxay Provincial Hospital (April 2021) © LuxDev}

  Each decontamination vehicle contains essential equipment, including rechargeable battery nebulisers, disinfectants, cleaning materials, and other supplies such as protective equipment, goggles, boots, and gloves.

  
  ^{Decontamination Unit’ vehicle (April 2021) © LuxDev}

  As the number of new cases continue to increase, the request for decontamination is outpacing the current capacities. The LAO/027 programme has provided the mobile teams with additional emergency sanitation supplies and nebulisers.

  
  

  ^{Decontamination at a local market in Vientiane province (May 1st, 2021) (pictures published on social media)}

  Luxembourg, through its membership of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, is also supporting the distribution of free vaccines in Lao PDR. The country has received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility in March 2021. The shipment consisted of 132,000 doses of the SII-AstraZeneca vaccine and it was the first batch of a total of 480,000 doses that are being planned for delivery to Laos via the COVAX initiative by May 2021.

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

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• • 30 Mars
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  LAOS – Strengthening Human Resources for Health through ScholarshipsThe story of Dr Thialor, Laotian doctor working in a remote mountainous area and beneficiary of a Luxembourg funded scholarship for a specialisation in Family Medicine

  Xaychamphone district is a remote and hard to reach mountainous area located in Bolikhamxay Province, central Laos. The district stretches along the border with Vietnam, is sparsely populated and is one of the poorest districts in Bolikhamxay province.

  The Xaychamhone district hospital is a type B hospital with 15 beds and with no capabilities to provide surgeries. The 29 health personnel, currently working in Xaychamphone district, provide curative and preventive health care services to 17 villages and to a target population of 10,800 people, mainly farmers, among whom 64,2 % are considered to be poor (World Bank, 2016).

  One of the leading doctors at the Xaychamphone district hospital is the 34-years-old Dr Thialor Saysue, the only female doctor with a specialisation in Family Medicine. She graduated as a medical doctor from the University of Health Sciences in Vientiane capital in 2011, and thereafter received a two-year scholarship funded by the Government of Luxembourg to study Family Medicine at the same University from 2015 until 2017.

  The Family Medicine curriculum prepares young medical doctors to work independently in remote and isolated conditions. The doctors acquire additional skills to handle pediatric emergencies and to perform some surgical and obstetrical procedures, besides learning how to manage community health assessments and interventions, including outreach village health programmes.

  Dr Thialor was filled with immense joy when she learned that she would receive a scholarship from Luxembourg. She hopes that other people in her community can receive similar opportunities.
  Photo credit: Humanitarian Media Agency (HUMA)

  After her specialisation, Dr Thialor was determined to apply her newly acquired knowledge and skills to the benefit of her village and community in Xaychamphone district. Besides her daily work of treating patients at the district hospital, she is also responsible for delivering preventive health care services in the surrounding villages where most of the population belong to the Hmong ethnic group, like herself.

  Dr Thialor and her team on their way to visit Namsak village in Bolikhamxay province. Photo credit: HUMA

  …we want to make the hospital services come to them; regardless of their social status, no one is excluded from the outreach services.

  (Dr Thialor)

  Besides financial constraints and behavioral barriers, poor road conditions and lack of transportation means are causing important challenges for villagers to visit hospitals. Therefore, Dr Thialor and her nurse-team quarterly travel to villages in their target area to provide outreach mother-and-child care. They visit nearly each household to ensure that no child is deprived of vaccination and deworming tablets and that each pregnant woman receives a health check-up. Her aim is that communities living in remote areas have access to basic primary health care services.

  Dr Thialor during one of her community outreach activities in a remote village in Xaychamphone district, Bolikhamxay province. Community outreach activity in Bolikhamxay province. Photo credit: HUMA

  Dr Thialor highlighted that the specialisation in Family Medicine was specifically relevant for working directly with communities in rural areas. She has been doing this work now for several years, and her commitment to integrated family health care grows even stronger. Being a mother herself and being able to speak the same language as most of her patients have helped her to gain the trust of her patients and hence to provide more people-centered services.

  Delivery at the Xaychamphone district hospital, Bolikhamxay province. Photo credit: HUMA

  I want to see everyone in the community healthy, especially mothers and their children.

  (Dr Thialor).

  Community outreach activity in Namsak village, Xaychamphone district. Photo credit: HUMA

  Dr Thialor is also proud that her studies and the scholarship programme have helped her to gain more confidence in her management abilities and have enabled her to take on a leadership role within her team to improve the district hospitals’ performance. She expresses the wish that more young doctors, especially women and health workers from remote districts, have access to scholarships helping them to improve the health of women and children in their communities.

  Discover more about Dr Thailor: 

  

  Luxembourg funded Scholarship Programmes

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LL-HSSP II) supports the goals set out by the Ministry of Health (MoH) as presented in its Health Sector Reform Framework (HSRF) 2013-2025. The HSRF has identified various priority areas, among which human resource capital development is prioritised.

  Indeed, the significant shortage of specialists in clinical disciplines, especially at the district level, is one of the major challenges affecting the quality of health services in Laos.

  Accordingly, the LL-HSSP II places capacity strengthening, a key component for building a resilient health system, at the center of its intervention strategy. The strategic Human Resource Capital Development (HRCD) initiative and specifically the Luxembourg funded scholarship programmes aim at increasing the availability of clinical specialists and skilled health staff in three central provinces, 28 districts and around 200 health centers.

  The LL-HSSP II offers training opportunities for health personnel through a mix of short and long-term scholarship programmes to increase the number of skilled staff, but also addresses the skill-mix imbalances of qualified health staff in the three provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay and Khammouane.

  Since 2015, Luxembourg Development Cooperation, through the LAO/027 programme, has offered 430 scholarships. Among these scholarships, 37 long-term scholarships were specifically aimed for medical doctors from provincial and district hospitals who wished to obtain a Family Medicine specialisation at the University of Health Sciences.

  It should be highlighted that more than 60 percent of the Luxembourg funded scholarships have been awarded to females and efforts are being made to ensure that young women, specifically from ethnic minorities and volunteers have the opportunity to take part in the scholarship programme. Supported graduates must serve at least three years in designated health facilities where the shortage of staff is high.

  A budget of 2 million EUR has been allocated so far for the implementation of the HRCD between 2017 and 2022.

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

   

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• • 29 Janvier
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  • Bureau Asie LAO/027
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  LAOS - Luxembourg continues its support to COVID-19 response and provides decontamination vehicles to the Government

  International cooperation is pivotal in managing the current COVID-19 crisis and its impacts in developing countries. The Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg remains a reliable development cooperation partner throughout these unprecedented times and has earmarked 3,000,000 EUR to support the Government of Lao PDR in its preparedness and response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

  

  Mr. Sam Schreiner, Chargé d’Affaires a.i.at the Embassy of Luxembourg in Vientiane Laos, handed over three ‘Decontamination Unit’ vehicles to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bounkong Syhavong, Minister of Health, during an official handover ceremony at the Ministry of Health in Vientiane capital. © LuxDev

  As part of this support, Mr. Sam Schreiner, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of Luxembourg in Laos, handed over three ‘Decontamination Unit’ vehicles (4x4 pickups) as well as decontamination equipment worth 88,000 EUR, to Associate Prof. Dr. Bounkong Syhavong, Minister of Health, during an official handover ceremony. 

  The handover ceremony was held on January 27, 2021 at the Ministry of Health in Vientiane Capital and was attended by Associate Prof. Dr. Bounkong Syhavong, Minister of Health, Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Vice-Minister of Health, the three Directors of the Provincial Health Departments of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay and Khammouane, as well as representatives of LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

  These decontamination vehicles have been purchased and equipped by the Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027). The main purpose is to strengthen the provincial authority’s ability to respond to potential coronavirus infections. The vehicles are manned by well-trained and fully equipped teams that are able to provide rapid and mobile response and quickly decontaminate/disinfect multiple sites exposed to potential COVID-19 such as hospitals, isolation facilities and official buildings.

  Demonstration of the ‘Decontamination Unit’ vehicles and decontamination equipment  to the Ministry of Health. © LuxDev

  Each decontamination vehicle provided to the three Luxembourg supported provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay and Khammouane contain essential equipment, including rechargeable battery nebulizers, disinfectants, cleaning materials and other supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE), goggles, boots and gloves. 

  

  ‘Decontamination Unit’ vehicles in front of the Ministry of Health, January 27, 2020. © LuxDev

  In addition to the vehicles, the LAO/027 programme is also offering sanitization training. So far sixteen (16) health personnel designated to be part of the decontamination mobile team (from the three Luxembourg supported provinces) have participated in their first training on safe sanitization treatment in January 2021. The second part of the training will take place in February and will end with a technical examination to ensure quality compliance. 

  It should be highlighted that the LAO/027 programme support office, based in Vientiane Capital, has been very active since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. Besides its main objective of supporting the Ministry of Health in implementing the Health Sector Reform Framework 2013-2025, the programme has also been supporting the health facilities in the provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay and Khammouane in their response and preparedness to COVID-19.  

  In addition to the ‘Decontamination Unit’ vehicles, the LAO/027 programme has supported the establishment of isolation facilities in the three provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay and Khammouane. Moreover, the LAO/027 programme has purchased and dispatched essential medical equipment and supplies such as personal protective equipment for health personnel, medical devices for the detection and monitoring of infected-people, decontamination products to reduce the risks of transmission, viral transport media for the transportation of specimen to be tested at the central laboratory of the country for a total amount of 630,000 EUR.

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is funded by the Governments of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, and jointly implemented by the Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency. 

   

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• • 21 Janvier
  • Par Undraa Bayanaa
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  • Bureau Asie LAO/027
  • Santé
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  LAOS - Digitalisation in the Health Care Sector

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) continues and maintains its efforts to strengthen the clinical and management capacities of health personnel working in the three provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay and Khammouane. 

  The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated digital transformation needs in the health sector, more specifically, e-health processes and distance learning. The LAO/027 programme offers now alternative learning opportunities for health professionals, whereby teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms.  

  In 2020, the programme purchased equipment such as TV screens and video conference equipment, including microphones, cameras, and computers for a total amount of USD 28 600. These wide range of equipment are being installed progressively in fifteen different health sites (provincial hospitals, provincial health departments, and district hospitals) in the three Luxembourg supported provinces and at the national level (Ministry of Health and University of Health Sciences).

  Remote English Classes

  The video conferencing equipment recently installed at the Bolikhamxay provincial hospital allowed to launch and offer the first remote English teaching programme for the provincial hospital health staff. 

  

  English for beginners, Bolikhamxay provincial hospital, December 2020, © LuxDev

  Fifteen health professionals have been selected to participate in the beginners (group 1) and elementary classes (group 2). The first group will be taught from 8th December 2020 until 30th May 2021.

  Remote training on Ectopic Pregnancy

  In collaboration with the University of Health Sciences (UHS), the LAO/027 programme has also offered its first remote clinical training on Ectopic Pregnancy at the Bolikhamxay provincial hospital on December 15, 2020. 

  

  ‘Ectopic Pregnancy’ training provided via Zoom, Bolikhamxay provincial hospital (December 2020), © LuxDev

  The online training was held by Dr Sengaloun Chanthavong from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the UHS. The training was offered to a small group of five health professionals (medical doctors, midwives and nurses) working at the Bolikhamxay provincial hospital maternity ward.

  

  ‘Ectopic Pregnancy’ training provided via Zoom, Bolikhamxay provincial hospital (December 2020), © LuxDev

  This important initiative provides health professionals with the opportunity to further strengthen their knowledge and to consult external specialists for advice in a timely manner for difficult cases of patient care. 

  Digitalisation: a lever to promote development 

  Digital technology has an enormous potential to improve both the quality and reach of health professions education. Organising and promoting online courses have particularly been useful during the current health crisis and COVID-19 precautionary sanitary measures. The LAO/027 programme established an innovative way of teaching and learning in the health sector which encourages digitalisation of teaching services provided in the longer term.

  Moreover, the LAO/027 programme is planning to introduce ‘telemedicine’ in the three provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay and Khammouane. By using telemedicine, rural hospitals and health centres can consult specialists on difficult cases of care and receive advice on diagnosis and therapy, including for referral of patients to better equipped hospitals, thereby strengthening integrated provincial health care systems.

  It should also be highlighted that since 2019, the LAO/027 programme has been working on introducing the Electronic Medical Record system in the three provincial hospitals. Currently patient health information is being processed manually in various hospitals across the country. Thus, computerising and automating this process could make the data more reliable and available more quickly for epidemiological and management purposes.

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.   

   

   

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• 2020
• • 9 Décembre
  • Par Undraa Bayanaa
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  • Bureau Asie LAO/027
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  Luxembourg continues to support the Government of Lao PDR’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response

  Vientiane, December 2020 – The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme – LAO/027 continues to work alongside the government and the Ministry of Health to support individuals, families and communities during this unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic. 

  Through relationships with government agencies, the project LAO/027 continues to adapt to emerging needs to assist the health facilities in the three provinces of Vientiane (VTE), Bolikhamxay (BLX) and Khammouane (KMN). 

  The project LAO/027 works mainly with suppliers from the region to purchase essential equipment and materials to protect health service providers and to support the national response to COVID-19 pandemic. The provision of equipment and material is based on the needs expressed by the respective authorities from the three Luxembourg supported provinces of VTE, BLX and KMN. 

  

  Shipping of equipment to the three Luxembourg supported provinces, LAO/027 Project Support Office, Vientiane Capital

  The health supplies provided by the project will be used in the health facilities both at provincial and district levels. The shipments to the provinces contain personal protective equipment to be used by health personnel, medical devices for the detection and monitoring of infected-people, decontamination products to reduce the risk of transmission and viral transport media for the transportation of specimen to be tested at the central laboratory of the country.

  Various medical supplies have been purchased and dispatched to the provinces of Bolikhamxay and Khammouane on December 7, 2020. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Luxembourg Development Cooperation, through the project LAO/027implemented by LuxDev, has handed over equipment and supplies with a combined total value of EUR 718,000.

  

  Xaychamphone District Hospital, Bolikhamxay Province (November 2020)

  

  Bolikhamxay Provincial Hospital (November 2020) ​

  Besides the support provided to the Government of Lao PDR’s COVID-19 preparedness and response, it is important to highlight that the project LAO/027 is continuing to support the Ministry of Health in strengthening Mother, Newborn, and Child health (MNCH) services in the three Luxembourg supported provinces. It is crucial to continue to support health mechanisms in order to ensure qualified, well trained and available health force for the provision of essential services, including access to essential MNCH services, without interruptions. 

  The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme – LAO/027 co-funded by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev.

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