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2021
- 30 Mars
- Par Undraa BAYANAA
- LAO/027
- Santé
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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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- 25 Mars
- Par Elisé Bagayoko
- Bureau Mali MLI/021
- Sécurité alimentaire
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MALI - Un nouveau souffle dans la certification de proximité des semences végétales
La Direction régionale de l’agriculture (DRA) de Ségou a bénéficié dans le cadre du PIC III d’un nouveau laboratoire d’analyse de semence équipé de matériels de dernière génération. Cette dotation est un véritable renfort pour les producteurs semenciers de la région dont la contribution est estimée à hauteur de 40 % de la production nationale de semences.

À partir de 2020, l’opérationnalisation du Labosem a été effective grâce à la mise en place de l’équipe technique et de la certification des premiers échantillons de semences. Le personnel du Labosem est composé d’un chef de Laboratoire, d’un chef de cellule échantillonnage et analyse, d’un agent de cellule échantillonnage et analyse, d’un comptable et d’une secrétaire. Le personnel technique a bénéficié d’une formation sur le processus d’analyse des semences.

Au titre de sa première campagne de certification en 2020, au total, 1 295 échantillons de semence en provenance de la zone d’intervention du programme Développement rural et sécurité alimentaire - MLI/021, ont été analysés. À titre de comparaison, cela représente 31 % du volume d’analyse du Labosem Sotuba (4 063 échantillons en 2018/2019), premier laboratoire semencier du pays.

Au titre de la deuxième campagne de certification 2021 en cours, le Labosem est en pleine activité d’analyse. Sur une prévision de 1425 échantillons (10% d’augmentation par rapport à 2020), les analyses en cours touchent déjà 600 échantillons de semence de céréales et de cultures maraichères.

Échantillons de semence de riz dans le germoir pour le test de taux de germination

^{Séance de préparation des boîtes a pétrie pour le test de germination par les équipes du Labosem}

Tous les résultats d’analyse sont validés sans réserve par le Laboratoire de Sotuba, ce qui prouve à suffisance l’expertise de l’équipe de Ségou dans la maîtrise des équipements et le processus de certification.

^{M. Alou Diarra, chef de laboratoire dans son bureau}

Le changement apporté par le Labosem est ainsi relaté par M. Alou Diarra, chef de laboratoire « ce laboratoire tant attendu a permis de donner un nouveau souffle à la filière semencière dans la région de Ségou grâce à la décentralisation de la certification des semences au niveau régional avec comme avantage : le raccourcissement du trajet des producteurs semenciers de la région ; la diminution du temps de la certification ; la réduction du coût d’acheminement des échantillons au Labosem ».

En termes de perspective, le Labosem compte renforcer son positionnement en étendant ses services aux semenciers des régions de Mopti, Koutiala et Sikasso.

Le programme MLI/021 est financé par le Grand-Duché de Luxembourg et mis en œuvre par LuxDev, l’agence luxembourgeoise pour la Coopération au développement.
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- 25 Mars
- Par Emma Aguiñot
- Bureau Asie LAO/030
- Développement socio-économique
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LAOS - Local development in support of poverty reductionFirst-Person reflection by Emma Aguiñot, LAO/030 International Province Adviser, Vientiane Province
It was in May 2017 when I first met my colleagues. There must have been 50 of us in total, with ages ranging from 25 to 70. I still remember the air of excitement and uncertainty in the room during our programme orientation, as we all smiled and assured each other – and ourselves – that we would fully grasp what our jobs and roles would entail once we start in the field.

Emma Aguiñot (left) is interviewing with one of the target households in Kasi district, Vientiane Province. Photo credit: LuxDev

It was a slow but firm start. We validated the target villages that were recommended to us by our partners. In Vientiane Province, we validated 100 villages in order to end up with the final 41 villages that we are working with now.

Building of mutual respect and trust between LuxDev-hired staff and the staff of the partner agency increased, I can now confidently say that we trust each other in a way that allows us to work simultaneously in different areas when needed. This relationship has evolved in a positive way and has been strengthened by the systems that were established to promote transparency and accountability.

We shared frustrations when things did not turn out as expected and shared successes when we achieved our targets. We have jointly witnessed district staff evolve and grow in their positions as coordinators of different components. We have seen their children and families grow. We have seen a lot of movement of government staff and political leaders; and above all, we have seen people suffering due to poverty. We have seen people being very close to suffering from social exclusion. We hurt when they are unable to speak the language or when they have difficulties expressing themselves even in their own language. We were moved by this and by their spirit to fight poverty.

Below are just a few of the people who have inspired us to do more, to try harder, so that we can reach them. It is amazing to note that in the space of four years the communities have been able to do so many things through our project, but at the same time, we feel that there is still much left to do.

Faces of People Fighting Poverty

Ms Moth, Pakngan Village, Met District, Vientiane Province. Photo credit: LuxDev

My name is Moh, I am 59 years old. I am a widow with five children. Three of my children are married, while my two younger sons still stay with me in the house. We are classified as a destitute household. We do upland rice cultivation and I plant job’s tears. Five years ago, we did not have any problems with rice insufficiency because our ricefield produced enough and my husband was still alive. Since he passed away, my family has had problems with rice insufficiency. Currently our family’s main income comes from selling job’s tears and fish from the Mekong. We do not earn enough to buy things for daily consumption. Last year, my rice ran out in August. It was very good for me to receive the 80 kg of rice from LAO/030 and the cash transfer of 400,000 LAK. I spent 150,000 LAK on transportation to bring me to the hospital. I received support for constructing a latrine, and I am also using the gravity fed water system. I am hoping that the rice that I got from LAO/030 will cover our needs until the next rice harvest. I would like to request additional support from LAO/030 to set up a productive activity such as pig or poultry raising.

Ms Phong, Namai Village, Hinheup District, Vientiane Province. Photo credit: LuxDev

I am Phong, 44 years old, married and I have three children. I am raising my children alone. I just plant and sell vegetables. I don’t have a ricefield, I just receive support from my daughter who is working in the Vientiane Capital. LAO/030 is a very good project. It is helping our village. It supported households without latrines to get one, and I received this support. Under the COVID-19 response, I got 80 kg of rice and 400,000 LAK in cash. It helped a lot, as I have expenses for my children’s schooling and I need to buy other items for consumption. I would like to thank the project for supporting us. I would like to ask the project for support so that my children can finish high school and eventually attend a vocational school, college or university. I would like to request the project to provide us with technical knowhow to engage in productive activities, which may help me increase my income.

Mr Bounthone (left), Namfuang Village, Met District, Vientiane province. Photo credit: LuxDev

I am Bounthone. I am 22 years old and I am married to Sony Yang. I am 22 and she is 21 and we have a six-month old baby girl. I am Laoluum and Sony is Hmong, from Houaykua. We married last year. The main source of our income is a 0.04 hectare of lowland rice area. When we have a good harvest, we only have one month of rice insufficiency, but when it is a bad harvest, it can be up to 4 or 5 months. We did not have a good harvest in the last cropping season. I received 80 kg of good quality sticky rice from LAO/030, which we are consuming now. We are keeping the little of what is left of the harvest for later. After harvesting rice, I plant vegetables and peanuts. I also provide labour for the villagers to earn money for household necessities. I am hoping to repair my house as soon as the Buddhist lent is over. I received housing materials from the project and the villagers will help me to change the roof.

Ms Phong, Phato Village, Kasi District, Vientiane Province. Photo credit: LuxDev

I am Phong, I am 28 years old, married and have two children. My husband is Jek, he is 30 years old and my eldest daughter is a year 3 student at primary school. I am an upland farmer. I have a lowland plot which would be good for rice cultivation, but I don’t have money to clear it. My family is poor. In April my husband and I went to work at the Chinese orange farm for one and a half months and we earnt a little more than two million LAK. We used it to buy rice and we paid back some of our loan. We have suffered from rice insufficiency since June 2020, so the project’s support is very timely. We received 80 kg of sticky rice. The project also supported us with the construction of latrines and the provision of housing materials and now some hygiene items. I would like to thank the project for supporting our village and our family in particular. I hope to be able to borrow some capital from the Village Credit Scheme in the future so that I can develop my small land into a lowland paddy area. This will allow us to support our daughter to continue with her secondary education.

The Local Development Programme for Bokeo, Bolikhamxay, Khammouane and Vientiane Province, LAO/030, is co-funded by the Government of Laos and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

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- 3 Mars
- Par Communiqué externe
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Business Partnership Facility : la 6e édition est ouverte!
Le ministre de la Coopération et de l'Action humanitaire, Franz Fayot, et Carlo Thelen, CEO/ directeur général de la Chambre de commerce, ont lancé ce 1er mars 2021 la 6e édition de la Business Partnership Facility (BPF) de la Coopération luxembourgeoise. L'événement en ligne a vu la participation de près d'une centaine de personnes, dont une grande majorité d'entrepreneurs.

La BPF est une facilité de co-financement visant à encourager le secteur privé luxembourgeois et européen à s'associer avec des partenaires dans les pays en voie de développement pour mettre en place des projets commerciaux durables.

Le cofinancement s'effectue sous forme de subvention qui peut atteindre jusqu'à 50% du budget total d'un projet, sans toutefois dépasser le seuil des 200.000 euros. Il contribue au développement et à la création d'emplois dans les pays en voie de développement et au transfert de technologies et d'expertise.

Cette année, le secteur de la "lutte contre la pandémie du Covid-19” a été ajouté à la liste des secteurs éligibles. Les voici pour rappel:
- CleanTech;
- Éco-innovation et économie circulaire;
- Espace;
- Fintech;
- HealthTech;
- Mobilité et logistique;
- Technologies de l'information et de la communication (TIC).
La BPF, ses conditions d'éligibilité et ses critères d'évaluation ont été présentés par Thomas Lammar de la Direction de la coopération et de l'action humanitaire.

Franz Fayot a expliqué les synergies qui existent entre la Coopération luxembourgeoise et les entreprises. La BPF permet en effet aux pays en développement d'attirer les investissements, les technologies, et l'expertise disponibles au Luxembourg. De l'autre côté, les entreprises ont la possibilité de pénétrer de nouveaux marchés parfois trop risqués sans intervention étatique, et d'établir des partenariats mutuellement bénéfiques avec les acteurs locaux. "La stratégie de la Coopération luxembourgeoise reconnaît le rôle essentiel du secteur privé, ainsi que des ressources et des innovations qu'il peut apporter pour favoriser un développement économique synonyme de croissance inclusive et durable. Le Luxembourg facilite dès lors l'exploration d'opportunités de collaboration en vue de promouvoir la création d'emploi, le développement du secteur privé sur le terrain, et infine, la réduction de la pauvreté."

Carlo Thelen a, quant à lui, réitéré le soutien de la Chambre de commerce et a souligné l'excellente collaboration entre la Direction de la coopération et de l'action humanitaire, Lux-Development, le ministère de l'Économie et la Chambre de commerce dans le contexte de la BPF. Il a félicité l'ensemble des partenaires d'avoir réussi à maintenir l'édition 2020 du programme Business Partnership Facility, lancé à la veille du premier confinement, il y a exactement un an. "Le calendrier d'actions a été respecté à la lettre et les 5 entreprises sélectionnées ont obtenu, comme prévu, leur accord de cofinancement au mois de novembre 2020. La continuité de la BPF dans les circonstances de crise sanitaire internationale que nous connaissons est un signal fort de résilience", s'est félicité le CEO de la Chambre de commerce.

L'appel à candidatures de l'édition 2021 de la BPF est ouverte. Les informations sont disponibles au lien suivant: www.bpf.lu

Communiqué du ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes, la Direction de la coopération au développement et de l'action humanitaire et la Chambre de commerce de Luxembourg

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- 1 Mars
- Par Ben WANDIVINIT
- LAO/029
- Éducation, formation et emploi
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LAOS - Graduates of ‘China Ready’ Programme ready to support tourism businesses
Four representatives from the Ministry of Information Culture and Tourism (MICT) have been awarded the ‘China Ready’ Certification Award by the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) after successfully completing the ‘China Ready’ training programme. The specialised programme, delivered online, provides tourism businesses with insights into the Chinese visitor and how to meet their cultural service and culinary needs, as well as marketing techniques to support businesses to win business from the post-COVID-19 Chinese market.

The Vocational Education and Skills Development Adviser from the Skills for Tourism Project, Mr Phouvanh Phommalangsy presented the Awards to Mme Darany Phommavongsa, Ms Bouavanh Soukhathammavong, Ms Douangchay Phothichack and Mr Lae Keoluangta, congratulating the graduates on becoming recipients of the ‘China Ready’ COTRI Certification Award. Mr Phommalangsy stated that “the ‘China Ready’ training has come at a critical and urgent time for the tourism sector as it prepares to reopen its doors to the post-COVID-19 Chinese travel market”.

Mme Darany Phommavongsa, Director General of the Tourism Management Department (Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism), receiving her China Ready’ Certification Award from the Skills for Tourism Project's Vocational Education and Skills Development Adviser, Mr Phouvanh Phommalangsy. © Lamthien Vongkhampan.

Accepting the certificate, MICT Director General of the Tourism Management Department, Mme Darany Phommavongsa said, “The impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector has been devastating. China has one of the fastest-growing outbound travel markets in the world and the Chinese market may be the key to the recovery of the tourism sector in Lao PDR. This training equips the MICT to work with tourism businesses across the country to help them capitalise on this growth by training them in how to meet the specific needs of the Chinese visitor”.

“It is important that those in the tourism industry are ready in terms of how to deal with Chinese tourists,” noted Ms Bouavanh Soukhathammavong, Technical Officer, Institute of Mass Media, Culture and Tourism (IMCT). “The ‘China Ready’ Programme provides a very good professional platform helping non-Chinese individuals and businesses to better welcome, understand and engage with Chinese visitors”.

Ms Bouavanh Soukhathammavong, Technical Officer, Institute of Mass Media, Culture and Tourism (IMCT).
© Lamthien Vongkhampan.

IMCT is rolling out the China-Ready Training Program to tourism businesses across Lao PDR. Focusing mainly on four key areas – cultural awareness, industry specific information, language and promotion of the Chinese market, – participating tourism businesses will be better prepared and equipped to welcome the Chinese tourism market and meet its expectations.

Mme Darany Phommavongsa concluded, “with many challenges on the horizon for the tourism industry, including uncertainty around post-COVID-19 recovery, IMCT is urging businesses to focus on the potential that China, as the biggest outbound tourism market in the world, can offer. Tourism businesses can now prepare to become ‘China Ready’ to ensure that they will be ready to extend a warm, safe and personal welcome to Chinese visitors”. Upskilling training on ‘China Ready’ is offered to tourism businesses by IMCT with support provided by the Skills for Tourism Project.

Since 2017 the Skills for Tourism Project has been providing capacity building opportunities to over 100 staff from the Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

The Skills for Tourism Project is co-financed by the Governments of Lao PDR, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland, and is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
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- 16 Février
- Par Siphachanh THYTHAVY
- Bureau Asie LAO/033
- Gouvernance
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LAOS - Increase understanding of State Inspection Authority Inspectors Anti-Corruption
Early February in the Vientiane Capital, the Support Project to Legal Teaching and Training and the Promotion of the Rule of Law Concept in Laos – Project LAO/031 and the Department of Inspection of Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) jointly conducted the State Inspection Authority Inspectors Anti-Corruption workshop for officials from selected Provincial Planning and Investment Divisions (PPID).

The workshop was chaired by Mr. Sounthone Chanthavisith, Head of Inspection of Department of Inspection, Ministry of Planning and Investment and attended by the representatives from LuxDev Regional Office, LAO/033 project and Institute for Legal Support and Technical Assistance (ILSTA).

The two-day workshop focused on the general definition of anti-corruption, forms and gift of corruption, laundering the proceeds of corruption and anti-corruption lessons learned in Laos.

During the two days, the participants shared their national and regional experiences in tackling corruption complaints. The workshop helped increase their understanding and reflected the roles and responsibilities of the attendees towards fighting corruption.

Lao government is currently improving the legislation to combat corruption through Anti-Corruption Law enforcement and the establishment of state inspection authorities at all administrative levels and sectors. Furthermore, the Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing, on Extradition, and the amended Penal Code are currently being enacted.

The workshop was part of the on-going effort to provide support to Strengthening the Effectiveness of Official Development Assistance (ODA) Management in Lao PDR - LAO/033 Project with the technical assistance provided by Legal Support and Technical Assistance (ILSTA) under the scope of the Support Project to Legal Teaching and Training and to Promotion of the Rule of Law Concept in Laos – LAO/031.

LAO/031 and LAO/033 projects are funded by the Government of Laos and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Planning and Investment and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

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- 2 Février
- Par Kamila PYDZINSKA
- Bureau Asie VIE/036
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VIETNAM - Wise use of water and agriculture, assessment and resultsRetrospective of Intervention – How did we do?
According to the final evaluation team, the Wise use of water and agriculture project in Cao Bang province ,VIE/036, Viet Nam, has been successful in improving the livelihoods of rural people in three of the province’s districts. Over 57 000 people living in Cao Bang, Viet Nam’s northern mountains region that had the highest rate of poverty in the country, have benefited from the project.

Initially designed as irrigation improvement project, VIE/036 quickly evolved to widen its scope. Rehabilitation of the irrigation schemes has assisted farmers in better responding to climate change, but also it has allowed them to grow more profitable crops during the dry season and allowed to introduce a market-led agriculture featuring speciality Cao Bang crops.

^{Irrigation - Na Bo - Na Dong SISS - Duc Long commune © LuxDev}

Community-based planning (involving both women and men, ethnic majorities and minorities) in the prioritising, planning and construction work, has been significant in the success of the small-scale infrastructure in the commune villages. The undeniable achievement of the project are small-scale roads that provide better access for community members to schools and health services and to agricultural traders and markets.

^{Road construction works © LuxDev}

According to the head of the evaluation mission,

increased social and economic benefits that accrue to the rural communities from the construction of small-scale roads and upgrading irrigation schemes are an important lesson for other rural development projects in Viet Nam.

These have contributed to significant benefits for commune members and the reduction of poverty rates in the communes assisted by the project VIE/036.

VIE/036 has also demonstrated that rural development projects can be innovative and embrace higher level provincial stakeholders. Development of the Linking-the-Leaders initiative, with project’s support, has provided the Provincial People’s Committee with real time feedback on matters of concern to members of the provincial community and a platform for members of community to engage with the Cao Bang provincial leadership about issues that affect them directly.

Among the lessons learned, perhaps the most important one is that the project design should not be too fixed and ensure there is some flexibility to respond emerging opportunities and to better achieve the project’s objectives. VIE/036 is a perfect example of the benefits that the modifiable approach can bring.

^{Cao Bang crops © LuxDev}

Furthermore, it has been noted that for a better objectives’ achievement, provincial sector strategies need to be directly integrated into departmental and divisional annual workplans, with defined outputs, and accountability for delivery.

Moreover, the activities on departmental and provincial level that are aimed to improve the competitiveness index have proved to be effective for poverty reduction in both rural and urban communities.

Finally, a field for improvement is definitely the emphasis upon a “market-led” approach and the level of engagement with the agribusiness sector members: both need to be on a very high standard in order for agriculture restructuring programme to be fully successful.

The Wise Use of Water and Agriculture project in Cao Bang province, VIE/036, was co-financed by the Government of Vietnam and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by Cao Bang Provincial People’s Committee (PPC) / Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
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- 29 Janvier
- Par Undraa Bayanaa
- Bureau Asie LAO/027
- Santé
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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
- 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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- 19 Janvier
- Par Ben WANDIVINIT
- Bureau Asie LAO/029
- Éducation, formation et emploi
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LAOS - Tourism and hospitality technical vocational education colleges strengthen public-private partnerships
As part of the support provided to the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) to enhance the quality of technical and vocational education in tourism and hospitality, the Skills for Tourism Project LAO/029 has been working closely with 18 technical and vocational training colleges nationwide to improve cooperation with their local private sector. These efforts have resulted in the formalisation of over 120 public-private sector partnerships (PPPs) between technical colleges and tourism/hospitality enterprises.

TVET students in Savannakhet province are receiving practical insights into baking by a local industry professional, © LuxDev

To help support the development of these partnerships, the Skills for Tourism Project developed two guides which have been endorsed by the MoES. The “Good Practice Guide for Internships” helps schools understand how they can improve the student internship through working more closely with the private sector. The “Education Enterprise Engagement Manual” highlights a myriad of mutually beneficial partnerships that schools and businesses can establish.

During the academic year 2019-2020, all 18 colleges were gradually introduced to both publications as well as to case studies and tools to facilitate their implementation. The colleges were also encouraged to apply for the Skills for Tourism Project grants designed to enhance the quality of internships and to implement innovative partnerships with the private sector. By end of 2020, 122 PPs were formalised between public colleges and private sector actors under these initiatives.

The PPPs cover a variety of activities ranging from signing and implementing internship schemes, organising guest speaker events, job fairs and study tours, to having students provide catering support to private businesses or partake in skills competitions taught and judged by industry experts, amongst many other initiatives.

“PPPs not only offer the benefit of introducing technical and vocational education students to the latest industry practices, but they also lay the foundations for high-quality education and for businesses and vocational training providers to work closely to ensure graduates acquire relevant skills that meet labour-market needs”, elaborated Mr Nouphan Outsa, Director General of the Technical and Vocational Education Department of the MoES.

Such partnerships are also at the heart of the Skills for Tourism Project’s collaboration with the Vocational Education Financing Facility (VEFF) through which the Project is granting financial support to dual cooperative training (DCT) programmes in tourism and hospitality in three provinces. Building upon the theory training provided by vocational colleges, a key feature of DCT programmes is the close involvement of the private sector, which is in charge of providing the practical training in a business environment.

The Skills for Tourism Project’s support will go on throughout 2021 to continue fostering a culture of partnerships between the public and private sector which will raise the standards in tourism and hospitality and contribute to a successful recovery of the sector in the long run.

The Skills for Tourism Project is co-financed by the Governments of Lao PDR, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland, and implemented by the MoES and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency .

The Vocational Education Financing Facility (VEFF) is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), and co-funded by the German Government through KfW Development Bank.

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