Advancing climate-resilient health systems in Lao PDR through integrated data solutions
The Ministry of Health of Lao PDR, Save the Children International Laos, and the World Health Organization have launched the nation’s first climate and health initiative, with financial support from the Green Climate Fund and DHIS2 technical support from HISP Vietnam.
A significant step towards addressing the health impacts of climate change in Lao PDR was taken on 29 April 2025. The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Save the Children International Laos and the World Health Organization, 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 will contribute its extensive DHIS2 expertise 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.
Lao PDR is one of 10 pilot countries in the DHIS2 for Climate & Health project funded by Wellcome Trust, with support from HISP Vietnam. This new GCF-funded project in Laos PDR will leverage the new features, tools, and knowledge that have been generated through that project, and can provide useful insights and innovations on using DHIS2 for climate and health that benefit the other pilot countries and the global DHIS2 community.
This article is adapted from a post by the HISP Vietnam Laos team on the DHIS2 Community of Practice.
