24 January 2022, Vientiane Capital - The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today closed the sixth country program and launched the seventh country program (2022-2026). The Country Program Action Plan which is the implementation tool of the Country Programme Document 2022-2026 approved by the UNFPA Executive Board in September 2021 will be signed by both parties after the launch. Participants from the line ministries, mass organizations, and development partners attended the virtual launch event.
Mr. Sathabandith Insixiengmai, Vice Minister of Investment and Planning, said, “We achieved the set targets in the past program cycle (2017-2021); however, challenges remain for the new program of cooperation (2022-2026) to focus on collective implementation towards achieving the goals. The CP7 (2022-2026) comprises four outcomes: sexual and reproductive health, adolescent and youth; gender equality and women’s empowerment; and population dynamics. Therefore, I urge all sectors to continue taking ownership in implementing each sectoral plan under the new program of cooperation ”
The Lao Government - UNFPA’s 7th CPD 2022-2026 was developed last year in consultation with the government, bilateral partners, UN agencies, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations. Building on the previous cycle’s achievements and lessons learned, using data from the Lao 2030 Demographic Study, and aligning to the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP), the National commitments to the 25th International Conference on Population Development (ICPD25), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), the 7th CP will focus on the three transformative results: 1). Zero maternal mortality; 2). Zero unmet for family planning; and 3). Zero Gender-based violence, including harmful practices.
In the past five years, the government and UNFPA collaboration had made significant progress in sexual and reproductive health, including family planning, advancement of women’s rights, and gender equality. Through policy advocacy, system strengthening, and quality service delivery, the 6th CP delivered remarkable results in increasing national investment in family planning from 3.5% to 31%; trained midwifery teachers rose from 9.5% to 89%; comprehensive sexuality education was integrated into school curriculums; women and girls’ rights and health were protected during the crisis with the provision of dignity kits and counseling service including hotline/helpline.
Ms. Mariam A. Khan, UNFPA Representative to Lao PDR, said, “the new country program will accelerate progress towards achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. To realize this vision, we will focus on: the quality of maternal health care by skilled and trained midwives, including through telehealth; reducing unmet need for family planning, especially among adolescent and unmarried groups; reducing adolescent pregnancy through comprehensive sexuality education; ending Gender-based violence by providing essential services including mental health and psychosocial support for women and girls, and engaging men and boys in this work. UNFPA will continue to provide technical and financial support to produce high-quality population data through the 5th Population and Housing Census 2025 and surveys to monitor national and sectoral plans and formulation of the next NSEDP and sectors plan.”
The launch highlighted the progress and achievements made and presented the overview of the 7th country program (2022-2026). The Vice Ministers from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Investment and Planning, the Vice President of the Lao Women’s Union, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Lao Youth Union, and the Vice-chairperson of Social and Cultural Committee, National Assembly, as key implementing partners, also committed to strengthening the cooperation and accelerating implementation in the next five years.
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UNFPA, the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency, works in over 150 countries including Lao PDR, to achieve zero maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender-based.
For more information please contact:
Mr. Phonexay Sithirajvongsa
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, UNFPA Laos
Ms. Vanly Lorkuangming
Communications and Partnerships Analyst, UNFPA Laos
