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| Estimated Population | 5.7 million | | Population Growth Rate | 2.1 % per annum | | Population Density | 23.7 people per square km |
Source: UNFPA[i]
[i] United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). (2009). Asia and the Pacific at a Glance. New York, USA: UNFPA
Lao PDR has participated in and endorsed International Conferences and Reservations on the International Conference on Population & Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (PoA). These are: ICPD (1994), Beijing Platform for Action (1995) and Millennium Development Goals (MDG) (2000).[i] Lao has the highest MMR in South East Asia and the second highest MMR in ARROW’s 12 priority countries in Asia (660 per 100 000 live births).[ii] In Laos, nearly 90% of rural women deliver without a trained attendant. A study of in the provinces of Champasack and Khammouane “revealed that while a majority of pregnant women attended antenatal care (ANC), only few of them delivered in hospitals. Most of the women reported being assisted only by their husbands and female relatives during delivery. Delving into the reasons for these choices, the study found a host of factors at play, including gender relations, accessibility of healthcare services, socioeconomic reasons and traditional beliefs.”[iii] Lao also has a low Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) of 38.4%.[iv] The Safe Motherhood program in Laos was initiated in 1998 in order to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity. The problems within the high maternal problems were due to poor health services, including poor human and financial resources; inadequate maternal health services; low awareness on reproductive health, safe motherhood and modern contraceptive methods.[v] According to the ICPD country case study, the cause of maternal mortality could be both direct and indirect. Direct maternal death results from the complications of pregnancy, labour or puerperium, or from intervention, omission of, or incorrect, and treatment; while the indirect maternal death results from the interaction of pregnancy with unrelated medical conditions which may predate conception or may first appear during pregnancy, labour or the puerperium. Given the large percentage of deliveries that take place in the home, it is believed that the great majority of maternal deaths occurred in the home, and that many of these deaths go unreported.[vi] Violence against women is common among women in Lao PDR. A 2003 survey covering 1000 women found that almost half the women interviewed reported experiencing some form of intimate-partner violence: mental violence: 35%, physical violence: 17%, and sexual violence: 1.6%. Close to 2% of the women experiencing violence said that violence continued during their pregnancies. Unfortunately, women do not have legal recourse against intimate-partner violence. There is no law specifically addressing domestic violence. Instead, Article 22 of the Penal Law of 1992 provides exemption from penal liabilities for physical violence between close relatives if these are not of a serious nature if the damaged party does not lodge any complaint.[vii] Rapid social and economic changes in recent decades have brought with it new problems including migration and trafficking in women. A number of organisations are involved in helping with the rehabilitation of trafficked women. However, the lack of limited data/information on this issue impedes effective government intervention.[viii]
[i] Thanenthiran, S; Racherla S.J. (2009). Annex of Tables. Reclaiming & Redefining Rights – ICPD+15: Status of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Asia (p.45). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW). [ii] World Health Organisation (WHO). (2007). Maternal mortality in 2005 : estimates developed by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, and the World Bank. Geneva, Switzerland : WHO. [iii] National University of Laos. (2009). Cultural Beliefs and Traditional Rituals About Childbirth in Lao PDR: Country Case Study (Unpublished). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW). [iv] Committee for Planning and Investment (CPI); National Statistics Centre (NSI); United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). (2007). Lao Reproductive Health Survey 2005. Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR: CPI,NSI, UNFPA [v] Ravindran, T.K.S. (2009). Privatisation in health and implications for sexual and reproductive health: Lao PDR (Unpublished). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW).Beliefs and Traditional Rituals about Child Birth Practices in Lao PDR. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW). [vi] University of Health Sciences, Ministry of Health. (2009). Cultural Beliefs and Traditional Rituals about Child Birth Practices in Lao PDR. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW). [vii] United Nations (UN). (2003). Lao People’s Democratic Republic Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Geneva, Switzerland: UN. [viii] Ravindran, T.K.S. (2009). Privatisation in health and implications for sexual and reproductive health: Lao PDR (Unpublished). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW).Beliefs and Traditional Rituals about Child Birth Practices in Lao PDR. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW).
ARROW's Work in Laos PDR ARROW's critical Cross-Country Indicators on Laos PDR |
