According to the recent Lao Social Indicator Survey III, the number of Lao provinces with child malnutrition rates above 40 percent fell from eight in 2017 to four in 2023. Xekong province saw its rate decrease from 54 percent to 35 percent, while Phongsaly province recorded a decline from 56 percent to 43 percent. Nationwide access to clean water has also reached 97.78 percent. Many provinces have met or exceeded targets for newborns being breastfed within the first hour of birth. Building on this progress, Lao officials identified three priorities for 2026: (1) addressing shortages of iron and folic acid supplements, (2) raising childhood vaccination coverage to at least 50 percent, and (3) improving the quality of health data for public health planning.
The Lao Government has recently launched two initiatives aimed at strengthening nutrition and food security. The Ministry of Health continues to prioritize maternal and child nutrition, including breastfeeding and equitable access to quality healthcare. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other development partners, launched a Sustainable Agri-food Systems project in August. Running through 2030, the project will provide financial, technical, and nutrition-related support to smallholder farmers, strengthen agricultural value chains, and improve food safety and access to export markets. In cooperation with the World Food Programme (WFP), nutrition activities will reach 105 villages, while investments in climate-resilient irrigation, roads, and food safety laboratories will strengthen the country’s broader food system. Together, these efforts support Laos’ broader efforts to strengthen nutrition and food security ahead of its graduation from Least Developed Country status at the end of 2026.
