Jai Ganesh Udayasankaran represents AeHIN at the Dissemination Workshop virtually via Zoom

The Ministry of Health (MOH) of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) conducted a Dissemination Workshop on its Digital Health Strategy for 2023-2027 at the Don Chan Palace Hotel in Vientiane Capital on 30 January 2023. It was attended by 87 participants–70 face-to-face and 17 online.

The half-day workshop entailed reviewing key propositions in the Strategy, gathering and engaging stakeholders, and disseminating the strategy both in print and digital formats, to national and international stakeholders.

Following the Digital Health Convergence Workshop – Lao PDR with AeHIN on 30-31 March 2021, Stakeholders’ Engagement – Digital Health Priorities for 2022 Meeting on 3 December 2021 facilitated by AeHIN, and a series of consultative workshops with partners, ministries and stakeholders in the country ensued throughout 2022 that resulted in the development of digital health strategy and endorsement by the MOH.

Jai Ganesh Udayasankaran of the AeHIN Governing Committee (GC) represented AeHIN in the event virtually and among his suggestions were:

  • AeHIN can facilitate the presentation of Digital Health Strategy by the MOH Lao PDR in one of the forthcoming meetings of the Digital Health and Interoperability Working Group’s (DH&I WG)‘s Small Working Group on Country Engagement.
  • The MOH could check with the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPT) to explore the possibility of utilizing the Universal Service Obligation Funds (USOF) that might be available to address any connectivity gaps as part of operationalizing the digital health strategy.
  • Sharing of the minutes and decisions from the Technical Working Group (TWG) meetings with AeHIN and the communities of donors, development/supporting partners that might help mobilize and align resources towards the effective nationwide implementation of the digital strategy.

Udayasankaran expressed that if the MOH can inform AeHIN about the agenda for the TWG meetings in advance, AeHIN can join as observers or contributors in TWG meetings and bring in potential supporting partners for specific strategic projects.

AeHIN supported this event through PATH.