National Forum Highlights Need for Increased Financing to Improve Nutrition in Lao PDR

Vientiane, 18 March 2025 – This year, the 10th National Nutrition Forum in Lao PDR gathered key government and international stakeholders to discuss critical actions needed to improve maternal and child nutrition in Lao PDR. With the theme “Financing Nutrition and Accelerating Data-Driven Actions,” this year’s forum focused especially on the importance of increased investments and collaboration to tackle malnutrition in the country.

“It is important that we build on our past progress and recommit ourselves to ensuring every woman and child in Lao PDR has access to good nutrition so they can thrive and fully contribute towards the nation’s development,” said H.E. Prof. Dr. Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, Deputy Prime Minister of Lao PDR and Chair of the National Nutrition Committee. He also expressed his thanks to all partners for their continued support in addressing malnutrition in Lao PDR.

Organised annually by Lao PDR’s National Nutrition Committee with inputs from the Minister of Health HE Dr Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Vice Ministers and Vice Governors, and joined by partners such as the European Union, World Bank, Asia Development Bank, SUN CSA, UNICEF, CEAR, RDAR,  World Food Programme and representatives from civil society organizations, academia and the private sector, the forum provided a platform to jointly review the progress made around nutrition in Lao PDR throughout the past year and priorities for 2025.

“It is through strategic investments and sustained funding that every child can receive adequate nutrition, especially in the first 1,000 days, while mothers get the support they need,” said Mr. Bilal Durrani, UNICEF Country Representative to Lao PDR and Co-chair of the Development Partners in Nutrition Group. “With renewed commitment and coordination, we can allocate resources efficiently to tackle malnutrition,” he added.

A key topic of discussion was the national commitments on nutrition made at the last year’s Human Capital Summit. These include how to identify the most impactful interventions to address malnutrition, improving coordination between sectors and the importance of using data to inform the design of nutrition interventions and assess their impact. The discussion also centred on systems for tagging and tracking nutrition budgets as well for better financing.

Mr. Alexander Kremer, World Bank Country Manager to the Lao PDR and Co-chair of the Development Partners in Nutrition Group, said: “Adequate nutrition is essential for a child's growth, intelligence and future earnings. Unfortunately, Laos faces extremely high rates of childhood malnutrition and even a reversal of past gains. To get nutrition on the right track requires more and better trained health workers, targeted cash transfers and investment in clean water. The World Bank and other partners will continue to support the Lao government, but increased government financing is urgently needed to bridge the gaps.”

The 10th National Nutrition Forum ended with commitments from various stakeholders to further integrate nutrition into their work and an articulation of the priority actions to be taken in 2025, setting the stage for a new phase of investments and expanded action to improve nutrition throughout the country.