Embarking on new journeys - Shifo in Lao People's Democratic Republic

In January 2017, Shifo was invited by the Ministry of Health to travel to Lao PDR to learn about the health system. Nearly two thirds of the population live in rural areas, where reaching by road or river is difficult. 

The Ministry of Health hosted Shifo on a visit to the districts of Meuang Feuang and Vang Vieng, where it was seen that the rural districts share many of the problems faced by low-resource settings in other regions.

The Shifo team was accompanied by Dr Chanthavong Savatchirang, Head of the Planning Unit, Maternal and Child Health Centre at the Ministry of Health who together with representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), was doing door-to-door monitoring following a polio and measles-rubella vaccination campaign.

Dr Chanthavong, in sharing knowledge about how they work, how they capture information, and their reporting system, said that retrieving and recording information was a difficult and time-consuming process, because the tools were not properly formulated to facilitate input.

Feedback about MyChild Card received during the workshops with the Ministry of Health and WHO was positive. It was thought to be a very good solution for the expanded programme on immunisation (EPI) that could eliminate the need for health workers to manually enter information into district health information software (DHIS2) and would help overcome many hurdles.

"In many health facilities at peripheral levels, vaccine stock and distribution are not regular causing missed opportunities and late vaccination. Similarly, data recording and reporting of child vaccination is not correct and verifiable" said Director of the National Immunisation Programme/Deputy Director of the Maternal and Child Health Care Centre Dr. Anonh Xeuatvongsa while speaking about the anticipated ways in which MyChild Card would be of use.

Following the rounds of meetings and field assessments, Shifo Director Rustam Nabiev observed that "it is clear that there is much commitment on the part of the Ministry of Health to close the gaps in service coverage and health status even in light of financial and human resource constraints. MyChild Card is a cost-effective and viable alternative that can be specifically tailored to the context and needs of Lao PDR. We want to be part of long-term development here, and for us that means working with our partners to build a strong foundation to continuously improve the quality of health services".

Read more and see some of the pictures from our trip

Shifo has a vision that no child should die of preventable diseases, no matter where they live. Families and children are at the heart of what we do everyday.