Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) builds on efforts to advance national health security through its second Joint External Evaluation [EN/LO]

To strengthen health security preparedness and response capacities, the Lao Ministry of Health — in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and relevant partners from multiple sectors — completed its second Joint External Evaluation (JEE) from March 17 – 21, 2025. The evaluation aimed to reinforce the country’s capacity to implement its National Workplan for Health Security, following the country’s first JEE in 2017.

JEEs are a mechanism through which countries assess, enhance, and advance national capacities under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR). These include the ability to identify gaps in health security systems; prioritize measures for more effective preparedness; strengthen actions for detection and early response; and strategically fund pathways for improvement.

“Lao PDR is one of only four countries in the Western Pacific region to have completed a second JEE and we are committed to building on these advancements through domestic funding, investments in human resources and critical health infrastructure,” said HE Dr Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health, Lao PDR. “Recommendations from this JEE will inform our national health security action plan, guide our efforts and sustain progress towards better emergency preparedness and response.”

The JEE was led by health security experts Dr Gina Samaan, WHO Regional Emergencies Director for the Western Pacific, and Dr Henk Ormel, an independent expert from the Netherlands. They worked alongside HE Dr Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health, Lao PDR, other government representatives and national experts. The evaluation also benefited from the contributions of experts from Australia, Canada, Nepal, New Zealand, Singapore, USA and the United Kingdom, who brought diverse perspectives and technical expertise to the process.

Leveraging the power of multisectoral collaboration

Health security goes beyond the health sector and requires a holistic, multisectoral and multidisciplinary approach to address gaps and advance coordination. IHR monitoring and evaluation tools, such as JEEs, enable countries to convene multiple stakeholders to collectively improve health security.

Dr Timothy Armstrong, WHO Representative to Lao PDR, commended the government’s approach to strengthening health security: “The whole-of-government commitment that Lao PDR has demonstrated during this JEE – involving active participation across all levels of government and sectors – ensure that findings translate into actions to build a more resilient national health security system. Lao PDR is a shining example of how countries can leverage IHR assessment tools, such as JEEs, to identify key gaps and drive consensus around prioritized actions.”

In addition to the JEE, Lao PDR has used other tools including the IHR States Parties Self-Assessment Annual Report, Intra-Action Review and After-Action Review to convene stakeholders across sectors, assess multisectoral capacities and strengthen health security systems.

Prioritizing actions for national health security

A number of key recommendations emerged from the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) to advance health security capacity in Lao PDR, these included:

• In line with the 2024 amendments to the IHR (2005), strengthening mechanisms for whole-of-government International Health Regulation coordination and implementation.
• Increase the number of qualified professionals for health security, improve workforce distribution, and train surge personnel for public health emergencies across sectors.
• Prioritize sustainable domestic budget allocation for IHR core capacities, and streamline processes to access contingency funds for rapid responses to public health emergencies.

Lao PDR will draw from these JEE recommendations to implement regional commitments, and priority actions under the Asia Pacific Health Security Action Framework (APHSAF), to build stronger, more resilient systems in health and other areas. Recommendations will feed into the country’s national action plan for health security and support prioritization of key activities to strengthen preparedness and readiness for emergencies at all levels.

Media Contacts

Will Seal

Technical Officer (Communications)
WHO Lao PDR

Mobile: +856 20 55 510 788

Email: sealw@who.int