Laos Country Profile

Country Profile 2019

Economic Growth

2 results

USAID Laos Business Environment

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Laos Business Environment, a five-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), assists the Government of Laos to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) while strengthening the country’s business environment.

USAID Laos Microenterprise

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USAID Laos Microenterprise, a five-year activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will strengthen the competitiveness of agricultural microenterprises in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Energy

1 result

USAID Laos Energy Security

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USAID Laos Energy Security, a five-year activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), supports the Government of Laos’ efforts to improve the planning, policies, and performance of the Lao energy sector.

Democracy and Governance

3 results

Gender Equality and Female Empowerment

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Gender equality is defined in USAID’s Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy as a state “in which both men and women have equal opportunity to benefit from and contribute to economic, social, cultural and political development; enjoy socially valued resources and rewards; and realize their human rights.” The U.S. Agency for International Development Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA) is committed to collaborating with partners to bridge gender inequality gaps in programming to advance inclusive growth by strengthening women’s economic empowerment and increasing women’s and girls’ voices in decision-making, leadership and science.

The Study and Modeling of Management Capacity and System Strengthening Project (SMCS)

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USAID Local Solutions Support (SMCS), a four-year activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Research Triangle International (RTI), provides a wide range of capacity development support to local organizations (LOs), and builds human capital in Laos through engaging with educational institutions, groups of students and lecturers, graduates, research institutes, and others. SMCS partners with national and regional universities in Laos to boost their organizational capacity and improve their effectiveness, efficiency, operation and sustainability.

USAID Legal Aid Support

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USAID Legal Aid Support, a four-year activity funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), helps the Lao People’s Democratic Republic promote the rule of law through the fairer, more consistent and more transparent delivery of justice according to the law – inclusive of women, the poor and traditionally underserved populations.

Vulnerable Populations

2 results

USAID Laos Counter Trafficking In Persons (USAID Laos CTIP)

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USAID Laos Counter Trafficking In Persons (USAID Laos CTIP), a five-year project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, works to reduce the vulnerability to human trafficking among targeted populations in the Lao PDR by supporting vocational training and employment opportunities of targeted vulnerable populations.

USAID Okard

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USAID Okard, a five-year activity funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), enhances the independence and functional ability of persons with disabilities through equal access to health and social services in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. USAID Okard partners with the Lao government and civil society to develop and implement disability inclusive policies and ensure optimal participation so that no one is left behind.

Global Health

1 result

Impact Malaria Project in Lao PDR

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PMI Impact Malaria supports CMPE to strengthen its implementation of updated elimination guidelines and surveillance activities by providing quality training to health workers at provincial, district, and health facility levels on improving data collection, analysis, and response.

Education

1 result

USAID Learn To Read

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USAID Learn to Read, a five-year project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), complements government efforts to improve reading skills for children from the pre-primary level to second grade in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. With a special focus on children who do not speak Lao and children with disabilities, the project helps to improve the quality of basic education in the country.-

Completed Activities

6 results

Training, Economic Empowerment, Assistive Technologies and Medical Rehabilitation (TEAM)

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The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funds the Training, Economic Empowerment, Assistive Technologies and Medical Rehabilitation (TEAM) project to increase availability and access to programs that help persons with disabilities in conflict-affected countries.

Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR (BEQUAL)

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Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR (BEQUAL) is a two-year activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID partners with the Government of Laos, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the European Union to improve literacy outcomes in primary schools by strengthening reading instruction, materials, curricula and assessment.

Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise

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The U.S. Agency for International Development supports the Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE), a Lao non-profit organization that works in partnership with the Centre for Medical Rehabilitation to help ensure that people with physical disabilities have local, free access to quality, nationally-managed rehabilitation services.

Lao PDR–U.S. International and ASEAN Integration (USAID LUNAII)

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Lao PDR–U.S. International and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Integration (USAID LUNA II), a four-year activity funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), helps Lao PDR further integrate into the global economy by supporting officials to develop and implement sound, modern, transparent and inclusive economic policies and regulations.

National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) Organization and Capacity Strengthening

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National Institute of Nutrition Organizational and Capacity Strengthening, a two-year activity funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), provides qualified technical assistance to the Government of Laos’ newly formed National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), host of the Lao-American Nutrition Institute (LANI).

USAID Nurture

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The U.S. Agency for International Development sponsored “Nurture” (USAID Nurture) project focuses on improving the nutritional status of women and children to reduce child stunting in targeted areas of Laos. This three-year project works to improve community and household nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene practices.

Despite strong economic growth, Laos still experiences some of the highest rates of child and maternal mortality and malnutrition in Southeast Asia. Lao children remain some of Asia’s most undernourished with national rates of stunting (low height for age) at 44 percent and 27 percent of children are underweight. The project uses two strategies applied primarily through community-based health workers and local village authorities.