Lao People Research Articles

Establishing the mining deposit groups and the gold exploration network patterns in the Attapeu area, Lao PDR

This paper initially clarified the context of primary gold mineralization in the Attapeu area, Lao People's Democratic Republic. It proposed the priority for the exploration, using the conventional technique combined with the geological mathematic method. The research essentially summarized that the study area had a complex geological and structural setting; the mineralization zones or gold orebodies most likely formed as a lens shape and/or mineralized single vein or vein zone, extending from a few tens of meters to greater than 500 meters long, within a single dipping angle of 450÷800; the geometric of orebodies likely illustrated as small to medium size. The mineralization zone significantly extended following the geological setting, indicating consistent to the strongly inconsistent group (Vm = 8.9÷116.8%). Medium- to high-grade gold ores are commonly found in each ore body and identified as a homogeneous to strongly inhomogeneous group (Vc = 58.3÷785%). Regarding the exploration criteria, exploring primary gold mineralization in the Attapeu area fits well with the mineral exploration group III. To estimate the ore reserve in category 112 significantly requires conducting the parallel exploration grid or rectangular grid with the exploration grid interval of 40÷60 meters within the space of the exploration grid line between 20 to 30 meters. The exploration guidelines proposed in this research are efficiently applicable for exploring other primary gold mineralization elsewhere with the geological settings and mineralogical characteristics identically to the primary gold mineralization in the Attapeu area.

A random survey of the prevalence of falsified and substandard antibiotics in the Lao PDR.

In 2012, a stratified random survey, using mystery shoppers, was conducted to investigate the availability and quality of antibiotics sold to patients in the private sector in five southern provinces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos). A total of 147 outlets were sampled in 10 districts. The active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) content measurements for 909 samples, including nine APIs (amoxicillin, ampicillin, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline and trimethoprim), were determined using HPLC. All the analysed samples contained the stated API and we found no evidence for falsification. All except one sample had all the units tested with %API values between 75% and 125% of the content stated on the label. However, we identified the presence of substandard antibiotics: 19.6% (201/1025) of samples had their units outside the 90%-110% content of the label claim and 18.3% (188/1025) of the samples had units outside the International Pharmacopoeia/United States Pharmacopoeia assay (percentage of label claim) specifications. Trimethoprim had a high number of samples [51.6% (64)] with units below the limit range, followed by ceftriaxone [42.9% (3)] and sulfamethoxazole [34.7% (43)]. Doxycycline, ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin had the highest number of samples with high API content: 43.7% (38), 14.7% (10) and 11.8% (2), respectively. Significant differences in %API were found between stated countries of manufacture and stated manufacturers. With the global threat of antimicrobial resistance on patient outcomes, greater understanding of the role of poor-quality antibiotics is needed. Substandard antibiotics will have reduced therapeutic efficacy, impacting public health and control of bacterial infections.

Prevalence of Refractive Error in Vientiane Province, Lao People’s Democratic Republic

ABSTRACT Purpose To determine the prevalence of adult refractive error and associated risk factors in the Vientiane Province of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Methods Population-based, cross-sectional ophthalmic survey of individuals ≥ 40 years of age in Vientiane Province. Suitable refractive data was available in 1058 individuals. Demographic data, which included age and gender, was obtained from all participants. Smoking status, presence of diabetes and hypertension was also recorded. The ophthalmic examination included autorefraction, grading of cataract, applanation tonometry and ultrasound pachymetry for ocular biometry, including axial length. Results Mean refractive error measured −0.36 diopters (D) (standard deviation [SD], 1.41) and mean cylindrical error measured −0.33 D (SD 0.95). Myopia ≤ −0.5 D and ≤ −5.0 D occurred in 53.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 43.7 to 62.6) and 2.0% (95% CI: 0.4 to 3.6) of participants, respectively. There was a correlation between myopia and both age and higher grading of nuclear cataract (p < .001). Hyperopia ≥ +0.5 D was present in 26.4% of participants and was associated with increasing age (p < .001). Astigmatism was present in 55.8% (95% CI: 51.5 to 60.2) of the population and was associated with increased nuclear cataract (p < .001). Urban participants had a reduced prevalence of myopia compared with rural participants. Conclusion Myopia was associated with younger age and a higher grade of nuclear cataract. The prevalence of myopia in the adult population of Vientiane Province was higher than that reported in neighbouring Asian regions and contributed to low vision.

Pooled testing of sputum with Xpert MTB/RIF and Xpert Ultra during tuberculosis active case finding campaigns in Lao People’s Democratic Republic

IntroductionActive case finding (ACF) of individuals with tuberculosis (TB) is a key intervention to find the 30% of people missed every year. However, ACF requires screening large numbers of individuals...

Laos in 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a weakening of the formal economy and a crisis of the informal economy in Laos. The population has responded with a partial return to subsistence farming, which almost the entire rural population had been engaged in anyway. The return to subsistence farming was accompanied by a revival of the subsistence ethic, which is compatible neither with Stalinist socialism nor with capitalism. In the current configuration, the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party is in a position to take advantage of this revival, since it seems to support a communitarian morality, anti-capitalism, and self-sufficiency, which the socialist rhetoric of recent years has been propagating. The socialist rhetoric as well as the leadership of the LPRP were reconfirmed by its national congress in January. Social, political, and economic forces seem to complement each other to a larger degree than in the first two decades of the century.

Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance of Pigs and Chickens in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, 2018-2021.

The use of antimicrobials in the livestock sector has been identified as a driver for the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and AMR has become a growing public health and economic threat in the Lao PDR. We conducted surveillance for AMR in five provinces of the Lao PDR, in order to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. isolated from caecal samples from slaughtered pigs at slaughterhouses and from slaughtered chickens at markets during two different time periods: 2018/2019 and 2020/2021. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using a panel of 14 antimicrobials using the broth microdilution technique. E. coli and Salmonella from chickens (62% and 33%, respectively) and pigs (88% and 81%, respectively) exhibited resistance to ≥3 classes of antimicrobials. Of important public health concern was the detection of Salmonella resistant to cefotaxime/ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, and colistin, deemed as critically important antimicrobials in human medicine. This study aimed to evaluate a national sampling strategy at slaughterhouses and wet markets, and to pilot the laboratory methodologies for bacterial recovery and AMR testing. Experiences from this study will inform capacity development for a national AMR surveillance program, and these early data could serve as reference points for monitoring the impact of the Lao PDR’s national action plan to contain AMR.

Association Between Socio-Economic Status and the Presence of Soap at Handwashing Facilities in Lao People's Democratic Republic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Association Between Socio-Economic Status and the Presence of Soap at Handwashing Facilities in Lao People's Democratic Republic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Profitable partnerships: smallholders, industry, eucalypts and acacias in Asia

ABSTRACT Smallholder tree-growers make substantial contributions to commercial wood flows in many countries in Asia. Many of these growers choose eucalypt and/or acacia species, which offer profitable and sustainable land-use options. Smallholder acacia and eucalypt plantings in India, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Sri Lanka, China, Thailand and Viet Nam are discussed, and data are presented to show the magnitude of these resources. In each country, smallholder plantings form critical raw-material inputs for numerous processors, with the collective scale of their wood production exceeding 86 million m3 annually and worth over USD 2.4 billion annually directly to these growers. Such harvests are major contributors to the livelihoods of smallholder families and to the economic viability of numerous local wood-using industries that rely on the raw materials they generate. This paper describes the profitable partnerships in Asia between smallholder tree-growers and their eucalypts and acacias, discusses their species of choice and the consequences of such decisions, and explores how and why these partnerships have developed and endured.

Development and Accuracy Evaluation of Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Rapid Diagnosis of Schistosomiasis Mekongi in Humans.

Schistosoma mekongi infection is endemic in countries along the Mekong River and certain of its tributaries in the lower Mekong basin, especially in Lao People's Democratic Republic and Cambodia. Diagnosis of schistosomiasis is crucial before treatment and epidemiological surveys before and/or after an intervention, such as a mass drug administration. A newly developed immunochromatographic test (ICT) for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis mekongi, based on antiparasite antibody detection in human sera, was evaluated. The schistosomiasis mekongi-ICT (Smk-ICT) strip was developed using somatic antigen from adult S. mekongi. In total, 209 serum samples were examined, including 14 from parasitologically proven schistosomiasis mekongi patients, 30 from schistosomiasis japonica patients, other parasitosis (n = 135), and healthy volunteers (n = 30) from areas not endemic for S. mekongi. Eleven schistosomiasis mekongi samples were positive according to the Smk-ICT, whereas all healthy control samples were negative. Cross-reactions with paragonimiasis heterotremus, sparganosis, trichinellosis, and taeniasis saginata samples were observed at 2.4% (4/165). The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 78.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 49.2-95.3), 97.6% (95% CI 93.9-99.3), 73.3% (95% CI 44.9-92.2), 98.2% (95% CI 94.7-99.6), and 96.1% (95% CI 92.1-98.4), respectively. The Smk-ICT kit might be useful to assess the prevalence of disease before establishing transmission control and mass deworming campaigns in countries in the Mekong River subregion.

Spatio-temporal unevenness in local land system regime shifts caused by land deals in Lao PDR

Extensive land-use “regime shifts” have been observed as rapid transitions from natural land cover or subsistence-oriented land use to intensified and/or expanded commodity production. However, it is often unclear whether these land-use changes are part of broader land system regime shifts in which pre-existing production systems and livelihood strategies are fundamentally transformed along with observable land-use changes rather than simply displaced or eliminated. This is a critical social-environment question given that regime shifts are often a desired and intended outcome of national rural development and market-liberalization policies but must also be attentive to environmental conservation and/or climate change mitigation goals. We investigated whether nationally extensive land-use changes implemented through large-scale land deals in Lao People’s Democratic Republic resulted in full, partial, or no village- and landscape-level regime shifts in and around land deals. Overall, land deals triggered a wide variety of full, partial, and no regime shift outcomes. Land deals with both domestic and foreign investors produced positive and negative outcomes, although foreign land deals for the production of rubber led to significantly higher rates of indirect land-use change in impacted villages than domestic and/or non-rubber land deals. Also, financial compensation alone was insufficient to improve community well-being because it could be reinvested to perpetuate previous land uses without the desired transformation in livelihoods and rural development. Land deals that exhibited greater social embeddedness (i.e., provided adequate compensation complemented by job-creation and improved access to infrastructure and/or services) were more likely to lead to positive regime shifts. Our findings demonstrate that any land system regime shift will produce both winners and losers, and thus it becomes necessary to critically analyze the localized distribution of social and environmental costs and benefits within broader-scale land-use regime shifts.

Validation of the Questionnaire on Sexual and Reproductive Health Literacy for Adolescents Age 15 to 19 Years in Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Background:Beyond sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge, it is sexual and reproductive health literacy (SRHL) that reflects the capacity to deal with sexuality. Many interventions have been conducted to increase SRH knowledge in adolescents, but SRHL has rarely been measured, and a well-validated tool is needed to measure it. Objective: This study aimed to validate a tool to measure adolescent SRHL.Methods:Reliability, validity, and cultural equivalence were investigated using data from expert consultations, cognitive interviews, and two-pilot studies. Then adaptation was made to the SRHL questionnaire for correct use among Southeast Asian adolescents in Lao and in wider groups.Key Results:The SRHL tool was comprised of 39 question items focusing on teenage pregnancy, contraception, and abortion. Conceptual, item, and semantic equivalence were all met. Interviewer-administrated mode was found to be optimal. Each question offers the answer choices very difficult, difficult, easy, and very easy, with a good to excellent Cronbach's alpha (0.8–0.9); there were no missing items and no floor/ceiling effects. Construct validity was high as 6 of 7 hypotheses were confirmed.Conclusion:Validation was completed with good cross-cultural validity. The tool was shown to be effective in determining the level of SRHL in adolescents in Laos and potentially in other countries with similar cultures. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2022;6(1):e37–e50.]Plain Language Summary:To find out how much adolescents know about sexual and reproductive health, an appropriate instrument of measurement is needed. Using different methods, we investigated the performance of a new tool, namely the SRHL questionnaire, which has 39 questions and should be used with an interviewer to assist in recording responses. This new tool could be used effectively to determine the level of literacy on sexual and reproductive health among adolescents.

Investigating the Impact of Huanglongbing in Citrus in Southern Lao PDR

Citrus has been promoted in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) as a poverty reduction strategy for at least two decades. However, citrus trees have been in widespread decline for no less than ten years. Since 2010, the authors have observed symptoms on citrus trees consistent with the bacterial disease huanglongbing (HLB). These symptoms included asymmetric leaf mottle, small lopsided fruit, poor fruit production and tree decline. The authors then initiated a long-term study on the occurrence of HLB in southern Lao PDR. Samples of leaf mid-ribs were collected from citrus trees in orchards, nurseries, and backyards across four provinces: Champasak, Sekong, Salavan, and Savannakhet. The presence of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, the putative causal agent of the Asiatic form of HLB, was confirmed in 59 of 109 samples collected in all four provinces. The Asian citrus psyllid, the vector of ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’, was also observed on citrus trees and tested positive for the pathogen. The implications of these findings for citrus production in Lao PDR are discussed.&nbsp;

ASEAN–EU Relations: Laos in ASEAN–EU Relations

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an important regional organisation in Southeast Asia. It has ten Member Countries with approximately 642 million people, a large market for foreign investors. The European Union (EU) is a dynamic organisation in the European region. It has 27 Member States with a population of approximately 446 million, where an essential destination for investment is coming from the ASEAN region. ASEAN and EU have kept their cooperation for decades not only on economic integration but also connectivity, environment, climate change mitigation and education. They aim to develop their relationship from a dialogue partnership to a strategic one.This paper analysed the ASEAN–EU relation regarding the aims and benefits of their cooperation. Furthermore, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), an ASEAN Member Country, was studied as an example country in this paper. Since 1997, Laos has enhanced its cooperation with European countries under the Cooperation Agreement between them. In addition, it would be more beneficial to analyse how this country has influenced ASEAN–EU relations.

Changing Trends of Popular Culture in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Changing Trends of Popular Culture in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Лаос в потоках международной помощи развитию

Since the establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) in 1975, the development of the country has been uneven both due to domestic policy deficiencies as well as changing international environment. The aim of the article is to provide an overview of the domestic situation in the Lao PDR in connection with the position of the country at the world arena from the 1970s up to date. The study is based on the country-specific research issued abroad in the 1990s-2000s as well as individual papers provided by Russian authors in the 2000s. The sources used for the study include the World Bank and the UN agencies data as well as information from specialized bodies dealing with development including the USAID and the EEAS. The peculiarities of the political system attributed to the Lao PRD include one-party rule, state dominance on most spheres of life and high level of corruption. The economy of the country used to suffer from the land-locked character but nowadays the country strives to gain advantage from being a transit territory in the Mekong River region. Due to sharp turns in the state economic policy from nationalization and collectivization to market orientation, the economy has been rather weak. The efforts to make tourism one of the drivers of economic development along with mining, hydropower production and agriculture, were devalued by the pandemic. The opportunities for receiving education in the country are especially limited for the poor, representatives of ethnic minorities, and women. Due to the continuing growth of the population, it may become even more difficult to provide education in the country largely. The healthcare system is also understaffed and underfunded. Malnutrition is wide-spread among the poor population. However, the healthcare system has improved a lot during the last 30 years. Many social problems of the country are not duly solved partially due to large state deficit that is somehow balanced by foreign aid. Laos was acknowledged a least developed country (LDC) in 1971. Thus, Laos relied a lot on foreign aid. The volumes of official development aid provided to the Lao PDR by the OECD Development Assistance Committee in 1971-2020 changed a lot due to the changes in the main donors of development aid from France and the US at the beginning of the 1970s, then the Soviet Union and Socialist bloc countries in 1975-1990, then again Western states, Japan, UN agencies gaining the main donor position for the Lao PDR. Countering poverty and other social problems were declared the priorities for both Lao authorities and international aid donors, certain success was achieved: the average poverty rate has decreased, the GDP per capita has been growing, the public debt remained large, though. Since the country is expected to be deprived of the LDC status in 2026 due to achieving relatively good results, it is time for the Lao PDR to reformulate its domestic and foreign policy approaches.

The political economy transition in a developing country

The current national economic and social development plan of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) aims to promote economic development, shift the structure of the economy for modern industry, and foster the growth of culture and society (Luangrath, 2019). This results in the economic transition from a centralised economy to a market economy. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to investigate the variables that influence such transitions and the resulting modifications. To achieve these goals, qualitative data analysis, and in-depth interviews were conducted. The results demonstrate that such transition depends on both external (the role of Laos, the influence of China, and the roles of international organisations) and internal factors (mechanisms of state ideology, economic reform, legislation and regulations, and the adaptation of the country’s leaders from one generation to the next). In response to the transitional economy, there are two essential changes, including capital groupings and state adjustments. The study proposes that investors interested in investing in Laos should research the country’s ideological mechanism, new economic reform policies, legislation and regulations, and economic transition history in depth since these are essential elements contributing to the economy in transition.

Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Results From the 2015 National Adult Tobacco Survey

Objectives: Second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure causes >600,000 deaths annually worldwide, however, information regarding SHS exposure in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PRD) is limited; we report SHS exposure prevalence at home, inside workplaces, and indoor public spaces in Lao PDR. Methods: Data were from the 2015 Lao National Adult Tobacco Survey, a nationally representative sample of 7,562 participants aged ≥15 years recruited through a stratified 2-stage cluster sampling approach. Results: 88.3% (83.9% of non-smokers) reported SHS exposure at home and 63.0% (54.0% of non-smokers) at workplaces. Among non-smokers, women had greater exposure at home than men (86.6 vs. 77.0%). Lower education levels were associated with exposure at home or the workplace. 99.2% reported SHS exposure at any public place; specifically for restaurants/food stores 57.7%, government offices 56.2%, public transport 31.6%, and health care facilities 11.7%. Conclusion: SHS exposure at home and workplace in Lao PDR is among the highest in South-East Asia. Comprehensive smoke-free policies at government-owned workplaces and facilities, stricter enforcement of these smoke-free policies, and strategies to encourage smoke-free environments at homes and in public places are urgently needed.

REVEALED COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE OF WATERMELON TRADE IN ASEAN 5 COUNTRIES

Watermelon Citrullus Lanatus (Thunb) is an important commercial fruit crop in ASEAN. One way to improve economic growth is through trade and comparative advantage. There are very some researches regarding with comparative advantage of watermelon trade in ASEAN. The purpose of this article is to determine the comparative advantage of watermelon trade in five ASEAN member countries. This article uses secondary data only. Watermelon trade data covering the six years period 2014-2019 were obtained from the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database. This article applies the original index of the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) and revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) to find out the level of comparative advantage of watermelon commodity. Results show that Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Viet Nam have a comparative advantage of watermelon trade in the global market. This study suggests that ASEAN 5 member nations should try to maintain its comparative advantage of watermelon exports in the international market.

Cooperation in hydrogeophysics: Enhancing practitioners and institutions’ groundwater assessment capacity, Vientiane Plain, Lao PDR

The lowland floodplains of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) experience prolonged dry seasons characterized by pronounced and common water scarcity, with water supplies increasingly offset with groundwater. Groundwater assessment is still at a very rudimentary stage in Laos, making it difficult to ensure that new water supplies are developed successfully and managed sustainably. The goal of this study is to apply a variety of field hydrogeophysical techniques to this problem and in the process help build and strengthen human and institutional capacity with various stakeholder groups from the government, the university, and the community. The study area focuses on a cross section of the Vientiane Plain (VP) in the Lower Mekong Basin in central Lao PDR to identify and characterize the hydrogeology and groundwater quality. The research collaboration has built and strengthened stakeholder capacity by developing and progressing the hydrogeologic field mapping of the VP. It has provided local undergraduate and postgraduate training opportunities using several different near-surface geophysical and hydrogeologic techniques, some previously untested in Lao PDR. At one of the survey sites, the geophysics has indicated the spatial extent of the shallow aquifer and in the process identified an extensive conductive zone, interpreted as more saline groundwater. Any groundwater development within this or similar zones is likely to be unsuitable as sources for drinking and irrigation water. Engagement with the local village authorities has supported local community members and government to expand groundwater development for rural water supplies. Access to groundwater as a reliable, safe, and secure resource provides an opportunity for strengthening the resilience of farmers to changing climatic conditions. Participatory research collaboration of this kind can positively enhance data and build capacity, which is a required precursor for improving knowledge and management of poorly understood groundwater resources.

Acceptance of New Land-Use Activities by Hmong and Khmu Ethnic Groups: A Case Study in Northern Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) to address climate change has historically included little evaluation of how heterogeneous local communities respond to REDD+ interventions and new land-use activities. We assessed differences in the acceptance of new land-use activities as a function of livelihoods of the Hmong and Khmu ethnic groups in northern Lao People’s Democratic Republic, where REDD+ was implemented between 2011 and 2018. Our socioeconomic data, collected by a questionnaire-based survey and focal group discussions, showed that the Hmong more effectively incorporated support from REDD+ than the Khmu because the Hmong owned grazing land. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the capabilities and characteristics of each ethnic group when implementing new land-use activities (i.e., designing and implementing alternative livelihoods) within a target area to ensure distributional equity in heterogeneous communities. Such a consideration should be included in land-use policy and also be a part of the social safeguards in the land-use sector.