This community innovation has been accepted at the 2025 DHIS2 Annual Conference
A significant step towards addressing the health impacts of climate change in Lao PDR was taken on April 29, 2025. The Ministry of Health (MoH), in collaboration with Save the Children International (SCI) Laos and the World Health Organization (WHO), launched the nation’s inaugural climate-resilient health system initiative, under the support of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). This comprehensive five-year plan is projected to impact over a quarter of the Lao population.
HISP Vietnam is privileged to contribute its deep expertise in DHIS2 to this critical initiative. As outlined in Lao PDR’s health national adaptation plan, the DHIS2 platform is designated as the central system for the crucial integration of climate data with health outcomes. This integration is crucial for the development and implementation of practical early-warning systems, enabling proactive public health responses to climate-induced threats.
The “Strengthening Climate Resilience of the Lao PDR Health System Project” aims to achieve:
- Enhanced climate resilience across seven vulnerable provinces through data-informed strategies.
- Fortification of 100 health facilities and 250 communities against climate impacts.
- Strengthen healthcare workforce capacity to identify and manage climate-related health risks.
- Improvement of climate-resilient and energy-efficient health infrastructure.
- Increased public understanding of the relationship between climate change and health.
- Empowerment of communities and, significantly, the expansion of climate-informed early warning and disease response systems, leveraging the analytical power of DHIS2.
- Improved healthcare accessibility for over 1.8 million individuals in high-vulnerability rural regions.
Author: Anou Souvannavong
Keywords:
Climate change, climate sensitive disease, disease forecasting, preparedness, response, DHIS2, HMIS