Written by Sengchanh Kounnavong, Latsamy Siengsounthone, Manithong Vonglokham
executive summary
The Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has overseen the development of an extensive network of health services, from the local level to tertiary referral hospitals, with the aim of improving efforts towards universal health coverage (UHC). I did. This case study is a primary Identify key enablers, pathways and future directions for healthcare (PHC).
The healthcare system is primarily owned by the government, with an increasing number of privately run pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals. The National Health Insurance (NHI) system was launched in 2016 and integrates multiple social health protection systems, including the Health Equity Fund, Community-Based Health Insurance, Family Planning, Maternal and Child Health Programs, and Maternal and Child Health Programs. National Health Insurance covers 94% of the population. District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2) was also introduced to enable collection of health services data into the national system. The findings suggest that he could strengthen DHIS2 to obtain regular information to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of primary care service indicators.
Key challenges for PHCs include limited administrative capacity to translate PHC policy statements into program implementation; The uneven distribution of services and human resources, especially in rural and remote areas, is also a challenge. Furthermore, communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and road traffic injuries are on the rise, creating a double burden of disease. However, the capacity of health care workers to cope with this burden remains limited. Efforts to address chronic disease in primary care settings will require an overhaul of capacity, information systems, and ways of working.
Supporting PHC requires stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration across sectors. Partnerships with donors active in the health sector, multisectoral collaboration, and empowered people and communities, supported by effective health governance, strengthen integrated primary care and essential public health functions. We may also be able to support these efforts.
