International authorities and non-governmental organizations join forces to bolster the health sector's resistance to climate change impacts
In a bid to address the increasing climate-related health challenges, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has launched a five-year project titled "Strengthening Climate Resilience of the Lao PDR Health System." The project, which aligns with the government's COP26 commitment to developing a sustainable, low-carbon health system by 2030, is a collaborative effort between Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia (HCWH SEA), Save the Children International in Laos (SCiL), and the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Lao PDR.
The project, a key activity under the broader Green Climate Fund-supported initiative, was officially kicked off at a meeting held on July 22, 2025, at Lao Plaza Hotel in Vientiane. The initiative aims to develop clean, safe, and climate-resilient health facilities across seven provinces in Laos, which are most vulnerable to climate impacts.
HCWH SEA will lead the implementation of a nationwide assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across 79 public healthcare facilities identified as vulnerable to climate risks. The primary focus of the project is to collect and analyse GHG emission data, build the capacity of healthcare personnel on climate and health, and develop a system to support facilities in updating their carbon footprint assessments and developing mitigation strategies.
The project also aims to enhance the use of climate data and WASH indicators to monitor, prepare for, and respond to climate risks in 25 vulnerable districts. Moreover, it plans to build community capacity to manage and cope with health impacts caused by climate change. The project also promotes coordinated cooperation, monitoring, and evaluation strategies among health officials and agencies.
The findings of this project will contribute to the country's national climate mitigation targets and support long-term health system resilience. By addressing the climate-related health challenges, the project aims to mitigate disease risks linked to changes in climate while strengthening sustainable healthcare delivery and resilience of health infrastructure in the face of disasters caused by climate change.
The project's geographical focus includes Laos and Southeast Asia. It is being published by EB Publishing and is related to topics such as Cities, Policy & Finance. The project is also collaborating with partners like Health Care Without Harm, Save the Children International, and the World Health Organization to implement and support these efforts across the seven provinces most vulnerable to climate impacts.
Laos faces climate-related health challenges including the spread of climate-sensitive diseases, damage to health infrastructure from natural hazards, disruptions to nutrition and food security, and waterborne diseases linked to inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions exacerbated by climate change. These challenges strain the country’s health system, particularly in vulnerable districts. The "Strengthening Climate Resilience of the Lao PDR Health System" project addresses these issues by upgrading 79 health facilities nationwide to be climate-resilient, clean, and safe, thus reinforcing health infrastructure against climate hazards.
[1] The project's tags include carbon footprint, COP, emissions, floods, food security, natural disasters, NGOs, climate, governance, healthcare, resilience, climate risk, extreme weather, global warming, heatwaves, philanthropy, and COP30.
[2] The project focuses on collecting and analysing GHG emission data from health facilities, building the capacity of healthcare personnel on climate and health, and developing a system to support facilities in updating their carbon footprint assessments and developing mitigation strategies.
[3] The project is a critical component of the broader Green Climate Fund-supported initiative to enhance the climate resilience of Lao PDR's health system.
[4] The project does not involve the advertisement of any specific product or service.
[5] The project's findings will contribute to the country's national climate mitigation targets and support long-term health system resilience.
- This project, under the topic of "Strengthening Climate Resilience of the Lao PDR Health System," concentrates on the collection and analysis of GHG emission data from health facilities, aiming to bolster the capacity of healthcare personnel on climate and health, and creating a system to support facilities in updating their carbon footprint assessments and developing mitigation strategies.
- As part of the broader Green Climate Fund-supported initiative, the joint project between Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia, Save the Children International in Laos, and the Ministry of Health of Lao PDR, is a key activity aimed at improving the resilience of Lao PDR's health system in the face of climate change, particularly focusing on developing clean, safe, and climate-resilient health facilities in seven provinces most susceptible to climate impacts.
- Aligned with the government's COP26 commitment to building a sustainable, low-carbon health system by 2030, the five-year project, titled "Strengthening Climate Resilience of the Lao PDR Health System," is a crucial component that aims to enhance the country's resistance to climate change, both in terms of climate mitigation targets and long-term health system resilience.
- The project on "Strengthening Climate Resilience of the Lao PDR Health System" is relatively unique, as it does not promote or advertise any specific product or service, but instead focuses on research and development related to healthcare, climate change, and resilience.
- With the objective of addressing climate-related health challenges such as the spread of climate-sensitive diseases, damage to health infrastructure from natural disasters, and disruptions to nutrition and food security, the "Strengthening Climate Resilience of the Lao PDR Health System" project plans to upgrade 79 health facilities nationwide to be climate-resilient, clean, and safe, thereby reinforcing health infrastructure against climate hazards.
