Poverty policy and regulation

Difficulties accessing information about methods to prevent early pregnancies among young people means that there are still many unwanted pregnancies and high death rates among young mothers and their children. Access to information and health services is limited among young people in the country, particularly for ...

While economic growth and poverty reduction has been impressive, health outcomes improved and Millennium Development Goals 4, 5, 6 and 7 are on tract; Universal Health Coverage is still a major challenge. The symposium was held on 13 June in Vientiane and also attended by President of ...

The Lao Fresh Meats factory at Sivilay village in Naxaithong district, Vientiane, a Hungarian government assistance project, aims to boost food safety standards for domestic supply and export. Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry received the first phase support of a Tied Aid Loan ...

Laos will need a draft regulatory framework to ensure proper licensing among healthcare professionals aimed at assuring the quality of healthcare treatment across the country, officials say. Director Cabinet of the Ministry of Health, DrNaoBoutta said on 9 June during a meeting in Vientiane that a draft ...

The United Nations Children’s Fund has committed to strongly supporting the Lao government’s efforts to improve the quality of education and healthcare as well as combat malnutrition problems in the country. Ms Hongwei Gao, UNICEF Lao PDR Representative stressed the importance of providing opportunities and a supportive ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen questioned on 1 June the extent of the ASEAN Economic Community’s commitment towards forming an inclusive economic region as countries continue to compete with each other for agricultural exports and inflows of foreign direct investment. Cambodia, which was the last member to join ...

The World Bank has agreed to provide a low interest loan of US$30 million to fight poverty in Laos, a government source has said. The Lao government will contribute another US$6 million bringing total funding from the three sources to US$52 million. This amount will be ...

The Ministry of Health in Myanmar is direly short on doctors, and a new plan to recruit 1000 more will barely begin to staunch the gap, according to government officials. As part of its 100-day priority agenda, the ministry has put out a call for 1000 ...

Switzerland has agreed to provide a grant of US$16 million, while the World Bank has expressed its intention to offer a low interest loan of US$30 million to fight poverty in Laos. If secured, the funds will be used to finance Phase III of the Poverty ...

Malnutrition costs the Cambodian economy an estimated $266 million each year, according to a new report, which urged the government to invest more in tackling the problem. Suboptimal breastfeeding and malnutrition in mothers were also factors, accounting for $36.9 million, which Wieringa said pointed to an ...