| Project Detail |
The proposed project will enhance the Ministry of Health (MOH)s capacity to deliver high-quality health care, with a focus on expanding quality healthcare services in provincial and district health facilities. Quality health care is a key component of effective universal health coverage (UHC) under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Lao Health Sector Reform (HSR), 2013-2030. Quality health care and responsiveness to patients preferences encourages people to seek care, and results in enhanced health outcomes. The project will (i) help design and make operational a quality governance mechanism; (ii) enhance quality assurance for health professional education institutions (HPEIs) and health human resources (HHRs); (iii) upgrade existing district hospitals and HPEIs; and (iv) improve health facility management through management training, continuous quality improvement (CQI) cycles and health information systems.
Project Name Improving the Quality of Health Care Project
Project Number 53291-001
Country / Economy Lao Peoples Democratic Republic
Project Status Approved
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Loan
Source of Funding / Amount
Loan 4337-LAO: Improving the Quality of Health Care Project
Concessional ordinary capital resources lending US$ 45.00 million
Operational Priorities OP1: Addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequalities
OP2: Accelerating progress in gender equality
OP3: Tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability
OP6: Strengthening governance and institutional capacity
Sector / Subsector
Health / Health system development
Gender Effective gender mainstreaming
Description The proposed project will enhance the Ministry of Health (MOH)s capacity to deliver high-quality health care, with a focus on expanding quality healthcare services in provincial and district health facilities. Quality health care is a key component of effective universal health coverage (UHC) under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Lao Health Sector Reform (HSR), 2013-2030. Quality health care and responsiveness to patients preferences encourages people to seek care, and results in enhanced health outcomes. The project will (i) help design and make operational a quality governance mechanism; (ii) enhance quality assurance for health professional education institutions (HPEIs) and health human resources (HHRs); (iii) upgrade existing district hospitals and HPEIs; and (iv) improve health facility management through management training, continuous quality improvement (CQI) cycles and health information systems. The project will be implemented in 16 districts in 10 provinces of the Lao PDR,3F and is expected to directly benefit 1.6 million inpatients and outpatients each year, particularly poor patients from rural districts, women, elderly people, people with a disability, and members of ethnic minorities, all of whom rely on public health care.4F It builds on previous Asian Development Bank (ADB) programs, and will support HSR Phase III (2021-2025) and Phase IV (2026-2030)
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy The proposed project will contribute to the HSRs Phase III (2021-2025) and IV (2026-2030)s thrust to expand quality essential health services in local facilities (district hospitals and below). The project aligns with the operational priorities (OP) of ADBs Strategy 2030; (i) addressing remaining poverty and reduce inequalities (OP1), by pursuing UHC and reducing health vulnerabilities; (ii) accelerating progress in gender equality (OP2), by enabling women to pursue health professional education opportunities, participate in QHC governance, and by addressing their unmet health needs; (iii) tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and by enhancing environmental sustainability (OP3) through climate-smart design of civil works; and (iv) strengthening governance and institutional capacity (OP6), by developing and operationalizing QHC, personnel, and hospital management policies. The project also contributes to priority 2 (enhanced human development) of ADBs 2017-2020 country partnership strategy for the Lao PDR and its extension.
Impact
Sustainable Development Goals related to the health sector achieved by 2030 |
