LEARN Lao PDR - The 11th Greater Mekong Sub-region conference on public health, Vientiane, 18th & 19th October, 2019

The 11th International Conference on Public Health among Greater Mekong Sub-Regional countries was organized in Vientiane, Laos. It focused on the broad public health aspects of Health Equity issues in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region countries with the theme: “Improving Health Equity among Greater Sub-Mekong Region: A Public Health Challenge”

The University of Health Sciences, Lao PDR, was honoured to host the event.  Following the theme from previous conferences it was noted that it is a challenge to achieve health equity for all. The vision of Health by 2030 states “Healthy lives for all with services coverage in accessibility, justice quality, and people’s understanding their own health care and overall health reform” and related to the SDG3 which Laos will attempt to achieve by 2030: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. The above is related to Laos’ health development priority, the National Health Insurance policy which will strengthen quality of care for all, including vulnerable groups of society.

During the conference a special session entitled “Join Hands to Collaborate on Public Health Research for Improving Health Equity among GMS countries” was organized in order to provide all participants and research partners with opportunities to discuss and link their research work together. This conference provided a significant opportunity for all partners who work in the health related fields to share and discuss their ideas, experience, lessons and evidence based research and recommendations on health improvement and development within the region as well as in Lao PDR.

The conference was a stage for young and senior researches in Lao PDR and other countries under the EU supported SPHIP program to share their results of the programs of Bangladesh (Collaboration between ICDDR and Chougacha-Jhinadah Model Committee to achieve improved management of health services), Myanmar (Collaboration between University of Public Health and Intergeneration self-health groups to improve NCD control in Myanmar) and Burundi (Determinants of contraceptive method use in Burundi). From Laos presentations varied from ‘Effectiveness of ANC training to increase facility delivery: a cluster randomized community trial’; ‘Immunisation against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Lao vaccinated individuals’; ‘Overt versus covert observations on health care providers’ care and communication during antenatal care visits in Lao PDR’; ‘Perceived accessibility to Sexual and Reproductive Health services in Lao PDR: Enhancing the voice of Lao youth’.

Also the several of the students of the first International Masters of Public Health program in Laos PDR, which were able to present the findings of their research thesis, through oral presentations in diversity of parallel sessions and poster presentations. The latter on topics such as ‘Health literacy of induced abortion among garment factory women aged 18-24 year’; ‘Food literacy of school adolescents in Vientiane Capital’;

For the 12^th GMS Conference on Public Health the organisation was handed over to the Thai host for next year’s conference in Bangkok and Bangsene, Chonbury Province in November 2020.