ADB Approves $41m for Climate-Resilient Primary Health Care in Lao PDR

ADB Country Director for the Lao PDR, Shanny Campbell, said the initiative reflects ADB’s commitment to “putting people and prevention first.”

 

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $41 million financing package to strengthen primary health care in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), with a strong emphasis on climate resilience. The Green Primary Care Project is designed to fortify local health governance, enhance service delivery, and build community resilience in the face of intensifying climate pressures.

Financing Structure and Partners

The financing package is made up of:

• $30 million from ADB’s ordinary capital resources,

• $10 million from the Asian Development Fund (ADF), and

• $1 million in technical assistance through the Community Resilience Partnership Program Trust Fund, supported by the Nordic Development Fund and the governments of France and the United Kingdom.

ADB Country Director for the Lao PDR, Shanny Campbell, said the initiative reflects ADB’s commitment to “putting people and prevention first.”

“By strengthening local health services and ensuring facilities and communities can withstand climate shocks, this project will help the Lao PDR protect hard-won gains in universal health coverage,” Campbell noted.

Climate and Health Challenges

The Lao PDR faces serious barriers to equitable health access, particularly in rural and mountainous regions where fragile infrastructure and geographic isolation limit services. Poor and ethnic minority communities are disproportionately affected, facing high disease burdens and limited access to medical facilities.

On top of these systemic challenges, climate change is worsening health risks:

• Floods and droughts are becoming more frequent and severe.

• Disease burdens are rising as weather extremes create conditions for outbreaks.

• Health service delivery is often disrupted by climate-related shocks.

This combination threatens both the sustainability of health systems and the progress made towards universal health coverage (UHC) in recent years.

Project Interventions

The Green Primary Care Project will directly address these vulnerabilities by:

• Upgrading and equipping primary health facilities with climate-resilient infrastructure.

• Training health workers to maintain services during extreme weather events.

• Improving water systems to ensure reliable and safe supplies in vulnerable districts.

• Implementing community adaptation plans, focusing on locally relevant strategies.

• Educating leaders, women, youth, and ethnic groups on climate adaptation practices to strengthen resilience at the grassroots level.

The project will cover 51 districts across five provinces: Champasak, Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Savannakhet, and Xiangkhouang. Among these, 14 districts have been identified as especially climate-vulnerable.

Supporting National Strategies

This initiative aligns with and supports multiple national frameworks, including:

• The Health Sector Reform Strategy,

• The 2024 National Adaptation Plan, and

• Lao PDR’s broader climate commitments under international agreements.

By integrating health system reform with climate adaptation, the project ensures that future health care delivery will be more resilient, equitable, and sustainable.

Towards Universal Health Coverage

ADB emphasises that the Green Primary Care Project is part of a larger effort to help Lao PDR achieve universal health coverage, ensuring that all citizens — particularly those in rural and marginalized communities — have access to reliable, affordable, and high-quality primary health care.

The investment is expected to safeguard health gains, reduce inequities, and serve as a model for climate-smart health care systems in the region.