Health Poverty Action is tackling widespread malnutrition and poor health amongst resettled hill tribes in a remote part of Laos, and helping them take advantage of the natural wetlands’ resources
About half the children of the resettled communities of Attapeu suffer from chronic malnutrition and villagers are unfamiliar with the wetlands and how best to use their resources. This project is improving access to resources and livelihoods, as well as bolstering health and nutritional services.
How will they benefit?
Around 10,000 people, including 5,500 women and 2,000 young children who have resettled in low-lying areas, will benefit from the project which is:
- establishing community fishery groups and production committees to help people plan and manage their health and nutrition, and the natural resources available to them
- training villagers to identify niche markets and preserve and process foods to diversify their income
- piloting sustainable farming techniques
- holding health education sessions to avoid malnutrition and disease, particularly amongst children
- training mothers to monitor the growth of their children
- rehabilitating severely malnourished children
- training village volunteers in basic healthcare, managing drug supplies and giving family planning advice
- improving access to water through building wells and gravity fed water systems
- improving sanitation through building latrines
Ethnic communities have been encouraged by the government to move from forested highlands to lowland rice producing areas to increase rice cultivation in the area.
Villagers are unfamiliar with wetland resources and how best to exploit them – Health Poverty Action provides assistance.
50% of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition in this area. This project strives to reduce this, through training and practical assistance.
Mai’s story
Mai is a young mother who’s learnt how to improve nutrition for her son.
“He’s a real joy to the family, but sometimes when I remember the deaths of my first three children, I feel nervous of what might happen to him. We were told that it’s unhealthy to feed babies sticky rice… so now I try what they taught us, which is to give our children a variety of food.”
Last modified: 25/01/2012
