Japan pledges $3 million to help strengthen Lao PDR’s COVID-19 response in partnership with UNOPS

• The government of Japan has pledged $3,084,480 to help strengthen Lao People’s Democratic Republic’s (PDR) COVID-19 response.
• UNOPS will procure medical supplies and equipment including personal protective equipment for frontline workers in Laos PDR’s health system.
• Part of the grant will focus on the provision of critical equipment for laboratories.
• The support will cover central and provincial levels.

The government of Japan has pledged more than $3 million to strengthen the preparedness and response capacity of the Lao PDR health system at both central and provincial levels in response to COVID-19.

UNOPS will carry out the procurement of medical supplies and equipment which will ensure country-level coordination, planning and monitoring, and provision of logistical management. The supplies and equipment will then be distributed to the Ministry of Health to be used in the country's health care system.

The overall objective of the aid is to provide urgently needed medical supplies and equipment to the hospitals and laboratories in Lao PDR to ensure the functional provision of the life-saving treatment to infected patients.

With an aim to support strengthened operational efficiency and responsiveness of the Lao PDR health system, one part of the grant will focus on the provision of critical laboratory equipment to the laboratories on central and provincial levels. This intervention will help fill the gaps that have been identified with the support from the National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, and will allow for better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

In addition, in order to reduce the COVID-19 transmission, the project will contribute to the procurement of the personal protective equipment, so that increased safety of the doctors, health specialists and medical staff is ensured.

Director General of Cabinet of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Nao Boutta said: “Ensuring that our medical workers have necessary personal protective equipment and that laboratories are well-equipped is essential to adequately address the health risks caused by COVID-19. This contribution will help to further strengthen Lao PDR’s response to the pandemic.”

UNOPS Multi-country Director, Sandrine Capelle-Manuel said: “While reported cases of COVID-19 in Laos have remained relatively low, the threat of the disease remains high. That is why this support from the government of Japan is so important. It will ensure that healthcare workers have the adequate protection to do their jobs and help save lives.”