VIENTIANE: Laos' Ministry of Health convened the 18th health sector working group policy-level meeting on Thursday (Oct 29) to review progress, address challenges, and set health sector priorities for 2027 as Laos prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in November.
According to the ministry report, discussions focused on implementing the 10th Five-Year Health Sector Development Plan (2026-2030) and strengthening coordination to ensure sustainable and equitable healthcare for all.
As Official Development Assistance is expected to decline following the country's LDC graduation, participants emphasised the need to increase domestic budget allocations for health and mobilise additional financing from alternative sources, including climate finance. Strengthening national capacity and reducing reliance on external assistance were also highlighted as key priorities.
The meeting also underscored the importance of responsibly adopting digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve health sector management and service delivery, while safeguarding data privacy, security, and ethical standards and ensuring inclusive access.
Developing and retaining qualified healthcare workers, particularly in rural and remote areas, and improving the quality of healthcare facilities were also identified as essential to meeting public needs and expectations. - Xinhua
