Category: Health

The business sector has asked the government to cut quarantine times imposed for Covid-19 test result to be confirmed to 24 hours, claiming that waiting for more than one day for a test result may serve to deter foreign visitors from visiting the country.

The national committee on reopening the country to visitors met yesterday to discuss preparations made by the government and private sector.

“The situation of Civid-19 in Laos hasn’t subsided yet, but the Lao government will continue to try to restore tourism, because the industry is crucial to reviving the country’s economy,” said Deputy Prime Minister Kikeo Khaykhamphithoun, who is also chairman of the national committee in charge of reopening the country to foreign visitors.

A recent study has suggested that Covid-19 has imposed severe impacts on tourism sector with revenues generated by the industry declining 65% compared to pre-Covid-19 years.

To revive tourism industry, meetings have been held with representatives of the provinces located along the Laos-China Railway asked to identify tourism potential and products in their respective provinces to be advertised at the railway stations.

The Ministry of Health issued on Dec 13 a notice urging people in green zones and provinces located along the Laos-China Railway who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 for five months to get vaccinated with booster dose.

Source: Lao News Agency

The National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control has expressed worries about the rising number of daily domestic infections, especially that of the capital city Vientiane.

Some 1,493 new Covid-19 cases and six new deaths have been reported nationwide over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 94,554 including 12,015 active cases and 262 deaths.

All of the newly reported Covid-19 infections were classified as domestic cases with the majority limited to Vientiane with 723 cases, Luang Prabang 117, Vientiane (province) and Oudomxay 110 each, Luang Namtha 103, Bokeo 99 and Xaysomboun 45.

Meanwhile, 40 new cases were reported in Xayaboury, 30 in Savannakhet, 29 in Borikhamxay, 26 in Xieng Khuang, 19 in Champassak and 18 in Khammuan.

Deputy Director General, Department of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health, Dr Sisavath Soutthanilaxay told a press conference today that most infections were detected among teachers, students, factory workers, soldiers, police officers and employees of enterprises.

“We have asked the people who have been infected to provide us correct information, especially that on their professions. If they give us incorrect information, then it will be difficult for us to trace people at risk,” said Dr Sisavath Soutthanilaxay.

Source: Lao News Agency

Some 1,245 new Covid-19 cases and six new deaths have been reported nationwide over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 93,061 including 12,015 active cases and 256 deaths, according to the National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

Of the new confirmed cases, 1,243 were classified as domestic infections and two as imported cases-recorded in Vientiane and Champassak.

The domestic infections included 616 in Vientiane, 123 in Luang Prabang, 108 in Oudomxay, 103 in Bokeo, 52 in Luang Namtha, and 48 in Savannakhet.

Meanwhile, 44 were reported in Vientiane (province), 29 in Xayaboury, 26 in Champassak, 18 in Borikhamxay, 17 in Xaysomboun, 12 each in Xieng Khuang, Phongsaly and Xekong, nine in Khammuan, eight in Huaphan, five in Saravan and one in Attapeu.

Tuesday witnessed 714 Covid-19 patients discharged from hospitals nationwide.

Source: Lao News Agency

Antimicrobials are crucial medicines used to fight many serious diseases and treat infections in humans, animals, and plants. In recent years, antimicrobials have been used unnecessarily, been overused, misused, underused by not completing the full course prescribed, and used as growth promoters in livestock production.

These harmful practices have led to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The AMR micro-organisms can spread through the food chain and the environment and infect humans.

To ensure that people acknowledge the threats caused by AMR and its future consequences, in May 2015, a global action plan to tackle AMR was endorsed at the World Health Assembly, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

The first objective of the plan was to ‘improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective communication, education and training’. With this joint force, the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) has been introduced between 18 and 24 November, every year, since 2015.

This WAAW event aims to increase awareness of AMR and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers, farmers, animal health professionals and policymakers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. This year, the theme for WAAW 2021 is “Spread awareness, stop resistance”.

In the Lao PDR, the 2021 WAAW event received support from a wide range of stakeholders: the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Health, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners such as the UK AID and the Fleming Fund.

FAO supported the Lao PDR, to develop a cross-sectorial national AMR strategy and a national action plan on AMR, to reduce the threat of AMR in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and food production.

This includes regulating responsible use of antimicrobials (AMU) and the detection and prevention of acquired AMR. With expertise on AMR, FAO is working with the Department of Livestock and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, to guide prudent use and best practices.

As expressed by Mr. Nasar Hayat, FAO Representative in Lao PDR, “AMR could be managed and prevented. It is a matter of awareness-raising: “Do you KNOW”. I strongly believe that all Lao people are willing to contribute to stopping AMR, once they know how to.”

FAO recently produced about LAK250 million worth of antimicrobial resistance risk communication materials in its bid to support the Lao PDR government’s effort to raise awareness on antimicrobial resistance. The United Kingdom Agency for International Development through the Fleming Fund supported the production and distribution of the materials to officials of the Lao Department of Livestock and Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) on Friday, 10 December 2021.

These materials, which consist of promotional and educational tools, namely polo-shirts, caps, bags, a series of awareness posters and the ‘Booklet of Agreement on the Use of Antimicrobial Drugs in Animals and Aquaculture Sectors’, will be used to support the series of awareness-raising activities to be conducted throughout the country until the end of 2021. In this regard, Dr. Phouth Inthavong, Deputy Director General of Department of Livestock and Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), expressed gratitude to UKAID and FAO for their support in helping the Government of the Lao PDR tackle an alarming surge on antimicrobial resistance in common bacteria in the livestock sector.

Source: Lao News Agency

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] for one Quick Impact Project (QIP), with grant assistance of US$50,000 from Government of India, took place on Dec 10 at the premises of Lao Front for National Development, Vientiane.

Mr. Khampheuy Boutdavieng, Member, Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and Vice President of the Lao Front for National Development presided over the ceremony.

Most Venerable Vet Masenai, Vice President of Luang Prabang Buddhist Fellowship Organization, Most Venerable Onkeo Sitthivong, Chair of Luang Prabang Buddhist Fellowship Office, monks from Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organisation, Mrs. Khamchan Phomsengsavanh and Dr. Chanpheng Southivong, Vice Presidents, Lao Front for National Development, also graced the occasion.

The project is for the setting up of a drinking water facility at the school in Pha Oh Temple, Pha Oh Village, Luang Prabang Province. The project will make clean drinking water available to about 500 students of the school, teachers and to many villagers living close to the school.

The grant assistance is being extended through Government of India’s QIPscheme under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) framework. The MGC is an initiative by six countries – India and five ASEAN countries, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam for cooperation in tourism, culture, education, as well as transport and communications.

QIPs are projects with a short gestation period that directly benefit local communities, with results that are immediate and visible, and which contribute significantly to economic and social development and improvement of public welfare.

MoUs for three Quick Impact Projects, each with provision of grant assistance of US $ 50,000 in the field of agriculture, were signed in October 2017, of which the project on ‘Establishment of Fertilizer Analysis Laboratory’ at Department of Agricultural Land Management has been completed and handed over to the beneficiary department of Lao government. The remaining two projects are at an advanced stage of implementation.

In August 2021, MoUs for three more projects under the QIP scheme were also signed. Two projects are for the construction of buildings for primary schools in remote villages (Kewxang & Nakheng) in Luang Prabang and the third project is for the construction of a 5-room dormitory at the Lao-India Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Vientiane for which the ground breaking ceremony took place recently on Nov 26, 2021.

The Ambassador observed that India and the Lao PDR share long-standing religious, cultural, and people-to-people linkages going back long into history. Diplomatic relations between the countries, as modern sovereign nation-states, were established in 1956, and they have exchanged several high-level visits over the decades.

This year, Lao PDR and India are also celebrating the 65th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. Relations between India and the Lao PDR are based on respect for national sovereignty and mutual benefit in pursuit of development and upliftment of the peoples of the two countries.

India’s development cooperation portfolio in the Lao PDR stretches across a broad spectrum—capacity building through Indian Technical and Economic (ITEC) Programme and long-term scholarships for higher studies, Quick Impact Projects for socio-economic development under grant assistance, projects under lines of credit or soft loans, joint Lao-India centres for Entrepreneurship development and English language training as well as heritage conservation projects, including restoration of a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Vat Phou (originally, a Shiva temple), by experts from the Archaeological Survey of India deputed under the ITEC Programme.

Ambassador mentioned, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi reiterated India’s commitment to continue its development partnership with the Lao PDR in a telephonic conversation with the then Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith in June 2020.

The Ambassador also expressed happiness that the MoU was being signed at a time when India is celebrating the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” (Immortal Festival of India’s independence) to commemorate 75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. The “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” was officially launched on 12th March 2021, marking a 75 week countdown to the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence (Aug 15, 2022) and will end a year later, i.e. on Aug 15, 2023.

Khamphery Boutdavieng, Member, Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and Vice President, Lao Front for National Development, Vientiane thanked the Government of India for providing assistance for implementation of the project.

Source: Lao News Agency

Some 1,898 new Covid-19 cases have been reported nationwide over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 88,046 including 12,011 active cases and 236 deaths, according to National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

The Committee also told a press conference today that some 8,074 people were tested for Covid-19 yesterday.

Of the new confirmed cases, 1,897 were classified as domestic infections and one as imported case-documented in Savannakhet.

The domestic infections included 737 in Vientiane, 344 in Xieng Khuang, 184 in Huaphan, 90 in Bokeo, 89 in Luang Prabang, 81 in Luang Namtha, 79 in Oudomxay, 74 in Vientiane (province), 49 in Savannakhet and 43 in Xaysomboun.

Meanwhile, 41 were recorded in Borikhamxay, 26 in Xayaboury, 19 in Khammuan, 17 in Attapeu, 12 in Champassak, seven in Saravan, four in Phongsaly and one in Xekong.

Source: Lao News Agency