Laos is one of the least developed countries in the world. Situated between Thailand and Vietnam in South East Asia, it has made progress in reducing poverty during the past decade.
The Attapeu province, where most of our work is based, is a poor and remote region at the southernmost tip of the country. Typical problems are:
- Chronic malnutrition – villagers have insufficient food for 4-8 months of the year
- Infant and maternal mortality rates are higher than national averages
- Remote villages often become cut off during the rainy season, which can prevent people from accessing health services such as immunisation clinics and antenatal and postnatal care
- Women in these areas often give birth in unsafe conditions without trained birth attendants, which increases the risk of them dying during childbirth
Health Poverty Action is working with remote communities to:
Improve maternal and child health amongst hill tribes
We are improving maternal and child health through our project with indigenous communities in Attapeu. Regular Health Days reach remote communities to provide basic services such as immunisations, prenatal and postnatal care, and to identify and feed malnourished children.
Improve health and nutrition
In Attapeu we are increasing food security and the protection of the wetland environment, in order to improve the nutrition and health of resettled ethnic tribes.
In Saravan, Sekong and Attapeu, we are raising awareness of sexual and reproductive health issues that affect young people, and addressing them through training health staff and community volunteers.
Prevent malaria
We are also helping to prevent malaria in Saravan, Sekong, Attapeu and northern Laos. This includes distributing bed nets, diagnosing and referring patients with malaria and training volunteers to raise awareness of the disease.
Break down barriers
Many women in vulnerable communities in Laos are reluctant to use reproductive health services. This project aims to remove the critical barriers that prevent vulnerable communities accessing available services for sexual health, family planning, pregnancy and childbirth.
Last modified: 27/01/2012
