International authorities and non-governmental organizations collaborate to bolster climate adaptation within the health sector in Laos.
Lao PDR Strengthens Climate Resilience in Health System
Lao PDR is taking decisive action to protect its health system and communities from the impacts of climate change. The country is embarking on a five-year project titled “Strengthening Climate Resilience of the Lao PDR Health System,” aimed at creating a sustainable, climate-resilient healthcare system.
The project, a key activity under the same title, is a collaborative effort between Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia (HCWH SEA), Save the Children International in Laos (SCiL), and the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Lao PDR. The initiative is being published through EB Publishing.
The focus of this project is the regions of Laos and Southeast Asia. HCWH SEA will lead the implementation of a nationwide assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across 79 public healthcare facilities identified as vulnerable to climate risks.
The project aims to develop clean, safe, and climate-resilient health facilities across seven provinces. To achieve this, it will collect and analyze GHG emission data from health facilities, build the capacity of healthcare personnel on climate and health, and develop a system to support facilities in updating their carbon footprint assessments and developing mitigation strategies.
The project also emphasizes sustainable healthcare delivery and disaster preparedness. It addresses threats from natural hazards, climate-sensitive diseases, and disruptions to nutrition and food security resulting from climate change. The goal is to ensure that health facilities can continue to provide essential care during and after climate-related events, such as extreme heat, floods, droughts, and typhoons.
In addition to these efforts, the project will inform infrastructure upgrades, improve service delivery for climate-related diseases, sustain climate-resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, and implement emission reduction action plans.
Lao PDR's approach integrates infrastructure upgrades, human resource capacity building, GHG management, and multi-stakeholder partnerships to create a resilient health system capable of withstanding and adapting to climate stresses. This initiative is part of a broader government response recognizing the health sector’s vulnerability to climate change, aiming for systemic strengthening through infrastructure resilience, capacity enhancement, and climate-smart health practices.
The project is tagged with various relevant topics such as Cities, Policy & Finance, and is related to issues like carbon footprint, emissions, floods, food security, natural disasters, NGOs, climate, resilience, climate risk, extreme weather, global warming, heatwaves, philanthropy, and COP30.
[1] HCWH SEA, SCiL, and MOH (2022). Strengthening Climate Resilience of the Lao PDR Health System. Retrieved from EB Publishing. [2] Asian Development Bank (2021). Improving urban resilience and institutional capacities in Lao PDR. Retrieved from Asian Development Bank website. [3] World Health Organization (2022). Climate change and health in Lao PDR. Retrieved from World Health Organization website. [4] Lao PDR Ministry of Health (2021). National Climate Change Health Action Plan 2021-2025. Retrieved from Lao PDR Ministry of Health website. [5] Lao PDR Ministry of Health (2020). Climate Change and Health Training Manual. Retrieved from Lao PDR Ministry of Health website.
- The project in Lao PDR, led by Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia, Save the Children International in Laos, and the Ministry of Health, aims to develop climate-resilient health facilities and incorporate clean and safe practices, which aligns with the broader field of health-and-wellness.
- In the context of climate change, the project's focus on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from healthcare facilities demonstrates a connection with environmental-science, as reducing carbon emissions is essential for a sustainable future.
- The project's emphasis on climate-related diseases and disaster preparedness reflects the interplay between climate change, health, and the environment, bringing science and medicine together in addressing these challenges.
- By improving infrastructure, enhancing capacity building, and implementing climate-smart health practices, Lao PDR is exemplifying how integration of climate-change measures can transform the healthcare sector, a key component of Medicare, and promote resilient therapeuties-and-treatments.
