The Ministry of Health and UNICEF are reviewing the progress of UNICEF’s health and nutrition programme as they plan for the year ahead.
A review of past work and planning for the next year took place at the meeting about the Health and Nutrition Programme on Thursday in Vientiane, attended by the Director General of the Hygiene and Health Promotion Department under the Ministry of Health, Dr Phath Keungsaneth, and the Deputy Representative of UNICEF in the Lao PDR, Dr Myo-Zin Nyunt.
The purpose of the meeting was to review the entire Country Programme Cycle (2012- 2016), supported by UNICEF in addition to presenting the Country Programme Development Outputs and other areas wherein UNICEF supports interventions for the new Country Development Programme.
The Health and Nutrition Programme will ensure that children and their families, especially the most vulnerable, have access to immunisation, proper nutrition, deworming and management of childhood illnesses.
Meanwhile, the Wash and Climate Change Resilience Programme will ensure that the most disadvantaged children and their families have equitable access to sustainable water sources and sanitation facilities in addition to education on the adoption of good hygiene practises. The programme will
support community resilience- building in response to climate change and natural disasters.
During the period 2012- 2016, the Ministry of Health and UNICEF successfully ran disaster mitigation projects in five provinces and supported hygiene programmes at 100 schools in Saravan province. Many people in the rural areas gained access to clean water sources and hygiene education for the first time through the programme.
The country programme goal and strategy of 2017-2021 is to ensure that children, especially the most disadvantaged, fully enjoy their rights to survival, development and protection.
Speaking at the meeting, Dr Myo-Zin Nyunt said, “UNICEF is proud of its long and fruitful partnership with the Ministry of Health to improve maternal and child health and nutrition, as well as to provide access to improved sources of water, basic sanitation and hygiene promotion in schools and communities for the most disadvantaged children and their families”.
“During the next five years, UNICEF will continue to support the Ministry of Health in addressing the challenges that the most vulnerable children and their families face. UNICEF support will include improving access to vaccinations and the nation’s capacity for mass immunisation campaigns. In addition, we plan to improve access to nutrition to stem the issue of severe acute malnutrition,” Dr Myo-Zin Nyunt concluded.
Source: Vientiane Times
