25 July 2025: The Ministry of Health of Lao PDR in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) recently convened a consultation to integrate health actions and indicators into the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) – the third round of climate action plans submitted by countries under the Paris Agreement. The meeting took place on 25 July 2025 in Vientiane Capital.
The meeting, co-chaired by Dr Phonepaseuth Sayamoungkhoun, Director General of Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion and Dr Christopher Fitzpatrick, Deputy WHO Representative to Lao PDR, gathered more than 30 participants from the Ministry of Health’s departments and centers, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, academia and development partners.
The meeting aimed to discuss and finalize priority health adaptation actions, strategic directions, and monitoring indicators to guide implementing health-related climate adaptation and mitigation efforts over the next five years.
“Climate change is already affecting the health of our people through frequent outbreak of dengue and water-borne diseases, heat related illness and increasing demand of health and water services during extreme weather events,” said Dr Phonepaseuth Sayamoungkhoun. “This meeting highlights our continued effort to place health at the heart of climate policy through actions that are evidence-informed, aligned with national strategies and financial support for the long term.”
Participants reviewed and discussed adaptation targets based on six key health priority areas outlined in the Health National Adaptation Plan (H-NAP), which serves as the operational framework for the health component of the NDC 3.0:
- Leadership and governance
- Health workforce
- Health information systems
- Essential medical products and technologies
- Service delivery
- Climate and health financing.
“NDC 3.0 is not just a policy framework, it is a promise to our people and future generations,” said WHO’s Dr Christopher Fitzpatrick. “By integrating health into national climate commitments, Lao PDR is demonstrating regional leadership and strengthens its position to access global climate finance”
As a next step, the Ministry of Health and WHO will incorporate the feedback and group discussion results into the final draft of the health component of NDC 3.0.
