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2021 Progress Report: Lao PDR – United Nations Partnership Framework 2017-2021, A Partnership for Sustainable Development

Chapter 1: Key developments in the country and regional context

In 2021 the COVID-19 pandemic has presented further challenges across development efforts and has to some extent stalled the promising advancements made in recent years. Following a rapid closure of borders in early-2020 and the introduction of prevention and control measures, Lao PDR was largely successful in containing the spread of COVID-19 in the country until the second quarter of 2021. After the Lao New Year in mid-April, imported cases spread rapidly among populations such as migrant workers, factory labourers, prisoners and eventually to several provinces in the centre and south of the country, leading to a second wave of the pandemic in Lao PDR.

Demographic Change

Situated strategically along the Mekong River in the centre of Southeast Asia, Lao PDR is categorised as an Least Developed Country (LDC) and Landlocked Developing Country (LLDC), with an ethnically diverse, largely rural and agrarian population of approx. 7.2 million . The country is experiencing the fastest urbanization rate in the region and the population is expected to reach 8.1 million in 2030 and 9.4 million by 2045, entering a 20-year window of opportunity during which the ratio of the working age population to older and younger dependents is high, offering a one-off opportunity to profoundly transform the country economically and in terms of overall development.

Three out of every 50 people will be older than 65 by 2030, and the largest age group will be of working age (15-64 years, 68%) with females of reproductive age in a small majority3 . Limiting the adverse health effects of ageing and ensuring good health for those entering the working age are necessary preconditions for harnessing the opportunity for a demographic dividend.

Progress during the UNPF Cycle

Prior to the pandemic, Lao PDR was amongst the fastest-growing economies in the region for the past decade, leading to significant poverty reduction and improved living conditions. Lao PDR moved from low income to lower middle-income status in 2011 and the country has continued to make key advancements, meeting all three of the criteria outlined for LDC graduation – Gross National Income, Human Asset Index and Economic Vulnerability Index – paving the way for the Committee for Development Policy to recommend graduation from LDC status by 2026.

Recognizing the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19, the Committee further recommended an extended 5-year preparatory period, in place of the default 3 years. In June 2021, this recommendation was agreed by the Economic and Social Committee and in December 2021, the UN General Assembly presented its formal endorsement.

Despite the substantial progress which has led to the recommendation for LDC graduation, many issues remain. After consistent decline, poverty levels are now estimated to have risen as a result of the pandemic. Even prior to the pandemic, sharp regional, gender, and urban-rural differences persisted, as well as differences in progress amongst different ethnic groups. To ensure a more holistic and inclusive development model, the UN has identified eleven groups that warrant particular consideration4 in programming to ensure that no one is left behind. Those with intersecting deprivations compounded across multiple dimensions are most at risk. These groups were identified in the Common Country Assessment (CCA) by using a five-factor framework considering vulnerability to shocks, governance, socio-economic status, geography, and discrimination as per UN requirements.

The share of the population affected by hunger has declined from one-third to under one-quarter over the past decade. However, even with this progress, Lao PDR is still classified as “serious” on the Global Hunger Index, as one-third of children under five suffers from undernutrition, and the proportion of stunting remains very high, at 33%. Life expectancy at birth has increased from 59 years in 2000 to 68 years in 2018. Similarly, key health indicators like the maternal and infant mortality ratios have improved, although they remain high by comparison to regional peers. Limited access to quality and coordinated health services, including urban-rural disparities, discrimination and availability of reproductive health services remains a challenge. Moreover, the majority of the population are not yet drinking safe water and there remains a sharp disparity in the use of basic sanitation and safe hygiene practices associated with income levels.

Enrolment in basic education has improved, now reaching over 90%, with negligible gender differences. The key outstanding challenges are addressing root causes for high secondary school drop-out rates, including child labour, early marriage, and early pregnancies, improving learning outcomes and completion of the full cycle of basic education, coupled with expanding early learning opportunities, with only one-third of children currently participating in early childhood education programmes. Not only are issues such as child labour, early marriage, and adolescent pregnancies barriers to accessing education, but also for young people, and in particular girls, to decide freely about their education and reproductive health free from discrimination.

COVID-19

In response to COVID-19, the Government of Lao PDR (GoL) introduced stronger prevention and control measures, including locking down major cities, closing schools and suspending interprovincial movement. Despite a decrease of positive cases reported mid-year, transmission spiked from September as a result of the more infectious Delta variant. Since the last quarter of the year, while continuing to vaccinate the population, the number of registered positive cases stood at 111,060 with 372 casualties recorded at year-end, and the GoL began to take measures to ease the restrictions to revitalise the economy.

WHO, UNICEF and other partners provided crucial support to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in the implementation of a National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP) for COVID-19 vaccines, including shipment of COVAX- and partnersupported vaccines, vaccination campaigns and strengthening cold chain capacity.

Socio-economic implications of the pandemic have been significant, with COVID-19 exacerbating Lao PDR’s longstanding structural vulnerabilities. For instance, revenue collection has continued to fall during the pandemic and public debt has increased causing further difficulties in servicing debt, compounding budget constraints for social sector services, integral components of COVID-19 recovery and more inclusive development. .

Strategic Frameworks

2020 marked the conclusion of the implementation of the 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (8th NSEDP) and the commencement of the next five-year plan (9th NSEDP 2021-2025). The 9th NSEDP is dominated by challenges associated with development sustainability and climate change, quality and inclusive growth, human capital, infrastructure development and the transition from LDC status. The NSEDP will be accompanied by a COVID-19 recovery strategy in 2022 to ensure further prioritisation in light of the continued fallout of the pandemic.

The UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-2026 was developed in 2021 as the UN Partnership Framework (UNPF) 2017-2021 cycle came to a close. The UNSDCF was developed through an extensive consultative process building upon a Common Country Analysis (CCA) and the 16 key recommendations from the independent evaluation of the UNPF.

The NDVP has been particularly successful in Lao PDR due to the GoL’s strong commitment to the programme, the donors’ active support and engagement with GoL, WHO’s and UNICEF’s joint efforts to coordinate with partners through COVAX and beyond, as well as the UNCT’s active engagement with communities to leave no one behind. Including shipments arrived in January 2022, COVID-19 vaccines via the COVAX Facility have provided full vaccination to over 3,8 million people, or approximately 52% of the Lao population. Unlike many other developing countries, Lao PDR has had minimal wastage of vaccines.

The target of 50% vaccination was met at year-end of 2021 with over 3.7 million people fully vaccinated and over 4.6 million people vaccinated with at least one dose.

The table above illustrates that all provinces except for Xaisomboun reached the 2021 target of 50% vaccination rate as of February 2022, while Bokeo and Vientiane Capital have already reached the 2022 target in terms of all recommended doses. The UN will continue to provide support to the GoL to improve access to vaccination to hard-to-reach populations and accelerate the booster programme in 2022. For more information on UN technical and logistical support to the NDVP in 2021, please refer to Outcome 5 in this report

Source: UN Country Team in Laos

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Laos reports over 2,200 new cases of Covid-19

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

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People urged to be cautious during Pi Mai as Covid-19 infections keep rising

Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health Dr Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh has called on people across the country to be cautious and comply with anti-Covid-19 measures, avoiding crowded places and mass gatherings during the celebration of upcoming Pi Mai Lao, or Lao New Year B.E. 2565.

The past one week witnessed 15,342 new Covid-19 infections recorded nationwide at a rate of over 2,000 cases per day, according to Dr Rattanaxay.

Daily cases of Covid-19 are expected to double during the celebration of Lao New Year which falls annually on Apr 14-16.

Some 1,038 new Covid-19 cases and three new fatalities attributed to Covid-19 have been reported nationwide over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 184,598 including 5,434 active cases and 682 deaths.

The new daily transmissions were detected among 2,384 people tested for Covid-19 yesterday. Of the new confirmed cases, 1,021 were classified as domestic infections and 17 as imported cases.

On Sunday, some 426 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals nationwide.

The highest number of domestic transmissions was respectively recorded in Vientiane with 516 cases, Savannakhet 104, Khammuan 63, Vientiane (province) 60, Xayaboury 43 and Borikhamxay 38.

Source: Lao News Agency

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UNFPA supports Laos’ midwifery curriculum revision to meet int’l standards

UNFPA is playing a key role in elevating the Lao PDR’s national midwifery curriculum to save the lives of mothers and babies.

Despite progress in maternal mortality, the Lao PDR still has a high maternal mortality ratio of 185 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017.

Eighty-three per cent of all maternal, stillbirth and newborn deaths can be averted with a full package of midwifery care, including family planning. Investment in midwifery programmes saves lives and is essential for the Lao PDR.

“For the curriculum revision this year, we have a variety of content to update and improve, especially the adolescent and youth-friendly services, gender-based violence, family planning, and inclusive services that consider, among others, people with disabilities. In addition, we also need to include key topics such as coping with COVID-19 and other emerging issues content to ensure our curriculum is up-to-date,” said Ms. Souksavanh Keobailuang, Midwifery teacher, Xieng Khuang Public Health School, who participated in a UNFPA-supported midwifery curriculum revision workshop in Vangvieng, Vientiane province this month.

The workshop gathered midwifery faculty members from across the country to improve modules and subjects for updating to reflect significant changes in global midwifery standards. Participants also discussed new areas to integrate or strengthen, such as leadership skills, inclusive practices, adolescent and youth-friendly services, family planning, gender-based violence, and the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for humanitarian response.

In the Lao PDR, with technical and financial support from UNFPA and partners, the Ministry of Health established a midwifery cadre starting in 2008. Support was given to the Community Midwife programme to upgrade the skills of auxiliary nurses and midwives. The Higher Diploma in Midwifery curriculum was then developed in 2015. To ensure alignment with international standards, curricula must be periodically revised.

Strengthening the quality of midwives to meet international standards is vital in reducing maternal deaths, improving mother and child’s health, and achieving the national commitment to ICPD25, which states that Laos will end maternal mortality and the unmet need for family planning by 2030.

In 2019, UNFPA commenced the revision process of the current curriculum with the support of Khon Kaen University (KKU). Midwifery Faculty Members who participated in capacity-building activities and training with KKU and UNFPA were organized into working groups and have advanced the revision process alongside their work as faculty members at various midwifery schools in the Lao PDR. UNFPA’s midwifery programme is supported by the Government of Luxembourg, Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH), Maternal Health Thematic Fund (MHTF), and UNFPA core fund.

Source: Lao News Agency

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Vietnamese consulate general calls on Champassak governor

Vietnamese Consul General to southern Laos Nguyen Van Trung on Apr 1 paid a courtesy visit to Champassak Governor Vilayvong Bouddakham on the occasion of Pi Mai Lao, or Lao New Year BE 2565.

Extending best wishes to the governor and other leaders and people of Champassak Province on the occasion of Pi Mai Lao, the Vietnamese Consul General informed the host about the outcomes of the first general meeting of the Vietnamese Business Association in Southern Laos adding that the association serves as a bridge between Vietnamese businesses and local authorities in southern provinces of Laos.

In reply, Governor Vilayvong spoke highly of the role played by the association in strengthening the relations and cooperation between the southern provinces of Laos and their counterparts in Vietnam.

Source: Lao News Agency

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UN: World Can Avoid Climate Extremes Only Through Drastic Measures

The United Nations’ top climate body says drastic measures, including significant cuts in fossil fuel use, are necessary to contain global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures.

Monday’s report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showed that the world is “on a fast track to climate disaster” and that governments and organizations have engaged in “a litany of broken climate promises,” said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“It is a file of shame, cataloguing the empty pledges that put us firmly on track towards an unlivable world,” he said in a video message released alongside the report.

Guterres said the world’s current trajectory is global warming of more than double the 1.5-degree limit agreed at climate talks in Paris in 2015.

To keep the 1.5-degree limit within reach, he said that the world would need to cut global emissions by 45% this decade.

The 2,800-page report said only such severe emissions cuts this decade could turn the situation around. Even then, it said such measures would need to be combined with governments planting more trees and developing technologies that could remove some of the carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere.

“It’s now or never,” IPCC report co-chair James Skea said in a statement with the report.

“Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, it will be impossible,” he added.

The report said that in the next three years — by 2025 — the world would need to stop greenhouse gas emissions from rising further to be on track to reach the Paris goals. If current policies continue, the report said, the 1.5-degree target will be “beyond reach,” and it will be harder after 2030 to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius.

Guterres put the blame on governments and businesses but did not single out individual countries.

“Some government and business leaders are saying one thing but doing another.”

“Simply put, they are lying,” he added. “And the results will be catastrophic.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the report “reveals how current global efforts to mitigate the climate crisis fall far short of what is needed” and that this will be a “decisive decade.”

He cited some of the report’s recommendations to halt climate change, from “improving energy efficiency, to halting and reversing global deforestation, to deploying more sustainable transportation and clean energy.” If countries take action now, he added, they can halve global emissions by 2030.

Source: Voice of America