Luxembourg provides boost for expectant mothers

Lux-Development, the Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation, is funding a 5.2 billion kip project to provide the women of Khammuan, Borikhamxay and Vientiane provinces with free antenatal and postnatal medical care.

The Access to Healthcare Services for Poor Women and Children project will run for two years and is set to benefit 77,300 women and children in 222 of the poorest villages in Xaysomboun and Hom districts of Vientiane province, Khamkeut and Viengthong districts in Borikhamxay province and Mahaxay and Boualapha districts in Khammuan province.

The assistance is a boost to the government's effort to reach the UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015 by alleviating poverty, increasing the survival rate of newborns and cutting maternal mortality rates across the country.

The project will consist of three schemes; the first will encourage more health providers in target areas to deliver preventative services, the second scheme will focus on encouraging mothers to seek the services of skilled physicians during childbirth and the third will provide curative services for both mother and baby.

The schemes are designed to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in rural areas.

It is hoped that preventive services, including vaccina-tions, antenatal care and micronutrient supplementation, will reach even the most remote populations.

To facilitate the delivery of these services, Lux-Development have decided to introduce a voucher scheme which provides the pregnant mother with a coupon that entitles her to free access to care for delivery of the child and for the management of any consequent complications. The vouchers also cover the cost of transport and provide a stipend for food for both the mother and her companion.

Access to curative care will be facilitated by health equity funds - third party mechanisms that reimburse health providers for services rendered to eligible women and children. Similarly to the voucher scheme, health equity funds will also cater for the indirect costs associated with seeking medical treatment.

An agreement for the project was signed yesterday in Vientiane between the Secretary General of the Lao Red Cross Dr Keedaeng Thammalangsy and Health, Financing, Social Health Protection Advisor of Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Mr Bart Jacobs and witnessed by Office Head of the Ministry of Health Dr Nao Boutta and other relevant officials.

The Lao Red Cross will assist during the initial phase by strengthening the government's administrative structures to ensure successful implementation of the interventions.

Vientiane Times