World Immunization Week: Lao PDR’s Vaccination Heroes

Ensuring everyone, everywhere is safe through vaccination requires many people. Doctors, nurses, vaccination and health education teams, officials, logisticians, drivers, community and religious leaders, and many more.

A recent vaccination campaign in Lao PDR’s Xieng Khouang Province - jointly delivered by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Home Affairs via the WHO-supported CONNECT initiative - successfully protected more than 39 000 people against COVID-19.

Since traditional methods to boost vaccination rates had struggled, the campaign focused on mobilizing local leaders with influence in the community, to advocate or support, including organizations that lay outside of the health sector.

This improved community engagement was a success. From 29 targeted “high-risk” villages (communities where previous COVID-19 vaccination efforts had limited success in the province), improved community engagement resulted in a 246% increase in the number of people newly vaccinated during this campaign compared to previous traditional outreach.

Mr. Michael Ronning, USAID Country Representative to Laos, emphasized the importance of engaging and empowering local leaders to lead and drive development progress. Mr. Ronning said, “the result was significant. This campaign is a great example of the power of working with local leaders communities to improve health outcomes. They know their needs, they know their communities, and together, this kind of multi-sector collaboration is crucial to make a lasting impact.”

But, beyond the numbers are real people, each one a vaccination hero helping keep their community safe.

Respectful care: Sing Song is a farmer and a church leader in Namkha 2 Village in Pek district. “When people from my church get sick, I visit them and bring food, pray for them and also advise them to go to the hospital.”

When the CONNECT team visited his village, Sing Song learnt about the benefits of vaccination: “I talked to the people in my church and I suggested they get vaccinated to protect their health. I worry about them and don’t want any consequences from not receiving the vaccine.”

Listen to feelings: The village chief of Yordngeum Village, Pek district sees part of his role as educating people about health and advocating to villagers to get vaccinated. He supported the vaccine campaign team to communicate in the local Hmong language, and bring their family members.

“It’s important to involve the ethnic leaders to motivate people because they are relatives and people trust them.” The chief is also an advocate for communicating with care: “If we speak without kindness, they will not follow our instructions, but once they trust and understand they will be pleased to participate.”

Ownership: Bualy Oudomsouk and Buaphan Outachak are both village health volunteers in Yordngeum village, Pek district. They support health activities in their village, including vaccination outreach, visiting people who hadn’t received the vaccine and helping women access services like antenatal care.

“We felt so happy that so many people came to get vaccinated and were protected from COVID-19.”

Potential: Jujia is 70 years old and the leader of his Hmong clan in Buakop village, Pek district. Jujia was initially hesitant about receiving the vaccine – he didn’t want to use a dose needed for a younger person, was concerned his granddaughter had been harmed by childhood vaccination – but after talking with the team, who explained he was very much a priority, and the safety of vaccination in general, he opted to receive it.

“I talked with the team and they gave me confidence. After I got the first dose, I felt really confident and now I want the second and third doses!”

Trust: Seyang is 42 years old and is the Lao Women’s Union representative in Buakop village, Pek district. Seyang speaks with local people to promote vaccination and encourage women to seek antenatal care.

“I explain to people the benefits of vaccination…when talking to Hmong people, it’s very important to be sincere and honest.” Seyang was pleased with the success of the vaccination programme: “I was happy because I felt I could do my job well and many people understood and came for vaccination, so it will be easier next time we go.”

Shared responsibility: Yong Wa Lor is 47 years old and is the head of Pakha village, Khoun district. He educated people in the village about health and hygiene, focusing on speaking with people face to face: “People in the village trust me because I’ve explained the science and evidence of vaccines to them.”

Yong Wa Lor says he felt inspired to become involved in the vaccination campaign because of the sincerity of the authorities: “I felt warm-hearted and proud that people in our village, youths and elders knew the benefits of vaccination. What we have done already is good and the next step will be easier.”

Supported by the European Union (EU), Luxembourg, the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), CONNECT is a community engagement initiative that focuses on building trust between healthcare providers and communities, and working closely with local leaders to improve communication with villagers, and demands for essential healthcare such as vaccination.