Category: Health

April 2 marks the one year anniversary of the launch of the Vaccinate Laos campaign – 365 days since the very first COVID-19 vaccination was administered to the Lao public.

Now as of March 28 2022, a total of 11,255,237 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered throughout all 18 provinces of the country (includes first, second dose and booster doses), meaning approximately 30,836 people are receiving their COVID-19 vaccination every single day through the support from the COVAX Facility.

Getting to where we now with COVID-19 vaccination has been a monumental undertaking and things in the beginning were quite different.

When the COVID-19 outbreak happened, all of our lives were virtually turned upside down. Facing a seemingly unknown threat, it appeared that we were ill-equipped to handle the virus during its initial phase. However, in less than a year, scientists were able to produce a vaccine against this previously unknown virus, offering us a critical tool against the pandemic but more importantly, a sense of hope.

For the Lao PDR, this sense of hope arrived on 20 March, 2021 with the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility – a partnership co-led by Gavi, CEPI and WHO, with UNICEF as a key delivery partner.

It consisted of 132,000 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine and its arrival represented a watershed moment in the Lao PDR’s COVID-19 response, highlighting how the world is in this crisis together – no one is safe until everyone is safe.

With the arrival of these vaccines, the Ministry of Health (MOH), WHO and UNICEF together launched the Vaccinate Laos campaign to encourage the public to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and achieve the ambitious goal of 70 per cent vaccination coverage for the Lao population by 2021. The campaign was publicly well-received and the first vaccine doses were administered in a mass vaccination session at the Mittaphab Hospital in Vientiane on April 2, 2021.

However, with the limited supply of vaccines available then, its use had to be carefully targeted. The Government developed the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan to help identify priority groups for vaccination based on their risk of exposure and likelihood of developing severe illness. These groups include frontline health workers, people who are 60 or above, those with underlying health conditions and workers at the country’s various points of entry, in quarantine centres and diplomatic staff. This first batch was administered to around 4,000 individuals belonging to these priority groups.

With this shipment of vaccines from COVAX, more vaccine supplies were soon delivered to Lao PDR throughout 2021 and early 2022, either directly from or through COVAX, or as direct bilateral support from partners, including Australia, Cambodia, China, the European Union, Finland, France, Greece, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and the United States. Countries like Canada, Germany, Korea, Luxembourg, and Switzerland have also been key supporters of COVAX and its delivery of vaccines to countries like the Lao PDR.

The vaccines donated were also of varying types with different storage and dose requirements, meaning each one of them required different strategies for deployment. For example, with the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine donated by the US through COVAX in July 2021, MOH was able to rapidly expand vaccination to more remote areas in other provinces, such as Champassak and Savannakhet, due to the J&J vaccine’s single dose requirement.

The year 2021 closed off with another milestone for the Vaccinate Laos campaign: in collaboration with popular Lao Singer Aluna Thavonsouk, MOH and UNICEF launched a song promoting COVID-19 vaccination on World Children’s Day 2021. The eponymously titled song “Vaccinate Laos” was an instant hit, being played almost every day during the daily briefing by MOH on the COVID-19 situation in Laos, reminding us that everyone can play a role in limiting the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Now with 2022 well under way, the Government has made an even more ambitious target of vaccinating 87.25 per cent of the Lao population and has rolled out third COVID-19 booster shots, in addition to authorizing vaccination for children to ensure the safe reopening of schools.

Looking back, we have come far from where we started with the pandemic. Nevertheless, there is still more work to be done. COVID-19 is still very much with us and now with the looming threat of Omicron, vaccination remains as important than ever.

Each and every one of us still has a role to play in vaccinating Laos. Every one of us can be heroes.

Source: Lao News Agency

Tuesday, Apr 5 witnessed Mittaphab Hospital, Vientiane presented 300 packs of Covid-19 medication Molnupivir from the Laos Alliance Pharmaceutical Group.

The medical package, worth 120 million kip (approx US$10,000), was presented to the Director of the hospital Sonexay Ladsavong by Laos Alliance Pharmaceutical Group Marketing Manager Pathoummalangsy Xaysounthone in the presence of relevant officials of both sides.

Expressing thanks to the donor, the hospital director assured the donor that the medicine will be used for treating Covid-19 patients in the hospital to minimize the severity of illness and casualties caused by the corona virus.

Some 2,115 new Covid-19 cases including two new fatalities have been reported over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total to 188,985 including 4,900 active cases and 684 deaths.

Deputy Director General of the National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology, Ministry of Health Dr Buaphanh Khamphaphongphan told a press conference on Wednesday that the highest number of domestic transmissions was documented in Vientiane with 1,167 cases, followed by Vientiane (province) 107, Savannakhet 86, Luang Prabang 77 and Borikhamxay 72.

Source: Lao News Agency

As COVID-19 continues to impact society, many countries in South East Asia are opening their borders and telling the world that they are now ‘open for business’.

Lao migrant workers remain at the heart of this drive to reopen as many who returned to Laos when lockdowns were introduced now prepare to return to bordering countries as they kickstart their economies.

The migration of thousands of workers from Laos to Thailand, working in domestic services, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and entertainment, especially those from the bordering provinces of Champassak and Savannakhet, has begun, and brings with it a unique set of both challenges and opportunities.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is working alongside the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW) to increase awareness on safe migration during COVID-19 for Lao migrant workers under the United Nations Joint Programme on the ‘Protection and Services for Vulnerable Settlements, Migrants and Youth in Savannakhet and Champassak’, and has partnered with the United National Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Information Culture and Tourism (MICT) to broadcast radio programmes to guide workers on migrating safety, and support for those who have recently returned to the Lao PDR.

UNDP, IOM, MICT, and the Lao National Radio held training events in Champassak and Savannakhet on Safe Migration and COVID-19 from March 22 – 25. The training aimed to guide the radio stations on how to broadcast essential information for migrant workers that travel during COVID-19.

The training also targeted the provincial and district radio programmers in producing creative radio spot advertisements to better engage local communities in the two southern provinces on safe migration, as it effects so many families in these areas.

From the training, radio broadcasters can effectively disseminate pre and post migration information through radio programming, especially regarding illegal migration, can help connect workers to job centers and migrant resource center locations, and most importantly, provide up to date public health information in following COVID-19 guidelines. Understanding viral symptoms, country restrictions and isolation rules continue to be essential for ensuring safe migration as people begin to move again for work. Mr. Sangkhane Choumkhamphanh, Deputy Director-General of the Lao National Radio, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism praised the community radios for this work:

“Radio media is at the heart of our efforts in conveying important messages to the Lao community, especially migrant workers. During COVID-19, migrant workers were and continue to be particularly vulnerable. This training content is, therefore the most important to the Lao migrants in Champassak and Savannakhet, where we see high rates of migration to neighboring countries.”

“Radio broadcasting has proved to be critical in ensuring people across the country access important information during COVID-19,” added Seán O’Connell, Head of Governance with UNDP. “Building on our long-standing partnership with MICT, we were able to develop and broadcast radio programming on key issues during the pandemic, including on education, health, gender-based violence and UXO awareness. Now we are able to guide radio broadcasters, who have been vital in ensuring vital information gets to the people who need it during COVID-19, develop new programming on safe migration for Lao workers.

“Information about safe migration, pandemic support and employment services is very important for Lao workers, as it supports them to make better decision about migration and work particularly during COVID-19,” added Sia Kondeh, Head of Labour Mobility and Human Development Unit with IOM.

“Through radio broadcasting we are able to expand information outreach from quarantine centres and border crossing points to reach wider communities, alongside the MoLSW and in partnership with UNDP. The training content supports radio broadcasters to enhance their knowledge about safe migration, so they can in turn provide vital information on safe migration, pandemic and employment support to Lao workers, their families, and communities in Champassak and Savannakhet,” said Sia Kondeh.

The collaboration between MICT, UNDP, and IOM comes at a crucial time as workers consider moving again, and exploring opportunities presented by the lifting of restrictions in neighboring countries.

The dissemination of information in communities in Champassak and Savannakhet equips migrant workers, particularly youth who are entering the labour force for the first time, with the knowledge and awareness of migrating safely, in way that balances economic opportunity with health and well-being as the country continues to build forward better from COVID-19.

Source: Lao News Agency

Laos has recorded over 2,272 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours with 1,376 infections reported in Vientiane, 106 in Vientiane (province), 94 in Savannakhet, and 90 in Khammuan.

Only 49 out of the new infections were classified as imported cases. Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health Dr Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh told a press conference this morning that the total caseload of Covid-19 in the country has reached over 186,000 including over 5,000 active cases and 682 deaths.

On Monday, some 673 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals nationwide.

Source: Lao News Agency

Laos Alliance Pharmaceutical Group presented 1,000 packs of Covid-19 medicine Molnupivir, worth 300 million kip, to the Military Medical Department, General Logistics Department, Lao People’s Army on Friday.

The handover took place between Deputy Manager of Laos Alliance Pharmaceutical Group Liu Lin Shan and Brig. Gen. Bouasy Inthavong, Deputy Head of the General Logistics Department, Lao People’s Army in the presence of relevant officials of both sides.

On this occasion, Brig. Gen. Bouasy Inthavong expressed thanks to Laos Alliance Pharmaceutical Group for its medicine donation noting that this had contributed significantly to anti-Covid-19 prevention and control efforts in the Lao PDR.

He also assured the donor that the medicines will be distributed to military personnel of the Lao people’s Army and their families that are infected with Covid-19 and Covid-19 patients in remote areas across the country.

Source: Lao News Agency

The Vientiane Administration Office has issued an order to maintain peace and order during the celebration of Pi Mai Lao or Lao New Year B.E 2565 in Vientiane noting that Pi Mai celebration (Apr 14-16) must be in a thrifty, peaceful manner and in line with fine national traditions and Covid-19 prevention and control measures.

Since this year the 16th April falls on Saturday, the government has designated the 13th April as a substitute holiday for Pi Mai Lao celebration.

Dated Mar 31, the order prohibits public and private offices and individuals from organizing festive parties during New Year celebration to prevent Covid-19 spread and to promote thrifty lifestyles.

No concerts, loud music and outdoor entertainment activities, especially nearby temples, tourist sites, food gardens, water parks, resorts, beaches in the Ngum and Mekong rivers, roadsides are allowed to be organized along with Miss Sangkhan contests, Miss Sangkhan Parades, and other mass gatherings.

Splashing each other with coloured, dirty and itchy water, and driving vehicles along the road to splash water at people on roadsides, throwing plastic balls of water at each other are banned.

Wearing girly clothing and behaving in an obscene manner at temples, places of worship and other public places, or drink-driving are also prohibited.

No crackers can be burnt and no loud music can be played to disturb other people.

The order also asks the Vientiane Commerce and Industry Department and district Commerce and Industry offices in Vientiane to inspect and manage goods prices, and impose strict and prompt measures against those hoarding goods and gouging goods prices.

Source: Lao News Agency