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Thursday, October 2, 2025
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“Sharing New Life” Campaign Launched to Support Maternal, Newborn Health

This Week

Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane have launched a new campaign turning hotel stays into life-saving support for mothers and newborns across Laos.

Called “Sharing New Life,” the initiative invites guests to make voluntary contributions toward improving maternal and newborn health.

Running from 1 October to 31 December, the campaign channels 100 percent of donations to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to help ensure safer pregnancies and healthier beginnings in some of the country’s most underserved communities.

“This campaign shows what is possible when innovation meets compassion. By working with Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane, we are turning ordinary moments of hospitality into extraordinary acts of solidarity. Each guest’s contribution will help save lives and give mothers and their newborns the healthy start they deserve,” said Pio Smith, UNFPA Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

All donations will directly support the agency’s efforts to ensure safer pregnancies, safer deliveries, and healthier beginnings, particularly in remote and underserved areas. 

The campaign guarantees full transparency, with contributions clearly listed on guest bills, reconciled monthly, and transferred directly to UNFPA at the campaign’s conclusion.

Murali Viswanathan, Cluster General Manager of Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane, described the campaign as a pilot project and a potential model for wider adoption. “Our aim is to seamlessly integrate hospitality and social impact. Guests can voluntarily contribute when they stay, dine, or host events.”

Murali Viswanathan, Cluster General Manager of Crowne Plaza & Holiday Inn Vientiane. 30 September 2025.

“We ensure full transparency, 100 percent of the funds generated will be given back to society. We hope this pilot will inspire other hotels, restaurants, and tourism businesses in Lao PDR to adopt similar models. Even small contributions, multiplied by many guests, can create substantial impact. While this campaign runs for three months, we intend to learn from it and expand in the future,” he added.

“This partnership between UNFPA and Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane offers guests a meaningful way to support maternal and newborn health. While Laos has reduced maternal mortality, many women in remote areas still lack access to quality care. This campaign helps bridge gaps and advances the Sustainable Development Goals target of fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 births by 2030,” said Bakhtiyor Kadyrov, UNFPA Country Representative in Laos.

“I hope people see that supporting mothers and newborns is not just a health issue, it is about basic human rights. As someone representing Lao women, I am proud to support this campaign, and I hope it inspires more people to be part of positive change in our society,” said Phaimany “Papao” Lathsabanthao, Miss Universe Laos 2023 and first-ever Friend of UNFPA Laos.

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