The Health Department of Luang Namtha province has set a goal of vaccinating against Covid-19 more than 85% of the population and encouraging the elderly and children to be vaccinated this year.

The Centre for Communication and Education on Health (CCEH) of the Ministry of Health (MoH), with the support from UNICEF Lao PDR, organised a trip for a team of journalists to observe and to promote Risk Communication and Community Engagement Activities for COVID-19 Vaccination especially those on Oct 12.

The visiting Luang Namtha, the media team have interviewed Deputy Director of the Health Department of Luang Namtha, Dr Bouanin Inchay about the implementation during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Dr Bouanin said that the Health Department of Luang Namtha Province was working with the Information, Culture and Tourism Department of Luang Namtha to broadcast radio spots produced by MoH, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICT) and UNICEF, through the radio and community loudspeakers. She said, the Health department of Luang Namtha province has received communication equipment with the support of UNICEF through the Centre for Communication and Education on Health total 12 sets of audio equipment and loudspeaker systems including 5 loudspeakers, microphone, audio amplifier and cable provided by DFAM through UNICEF Lao PDR.

The province has distributed it to each districts as appropriate and the districts have shared it with small hospitals and villages to use. However, access to provincial radio is still limited so the best way to provide information about OCVID-19 right now is through of loudspeaker systems.” She has said.

The use of loudspeaker systems, LCD and microphone, audio amplifier for small hospitals, villages to issue news, providing health education to prevent various diseases according to the season, opened the information page on the prevention of malaria, Covid-19, diarrhea, vaccination against various diseases.

Almost 85 per cent of the total population have been vaccinated with at least one dose. Currently the Health Department of Luang Namtha was providing Covid-19 vaccination efforts to have at least 82% of population to get vaccinate with at least one dose and 73% of two dose of Covid-19 vaccine and about 36% of population have been administered with a booster. Some areas are challenges and difficulties they are facing in fulfilling Covid-19 vaccination targets, because when the community is alert to receive the vaccine, we do not have enough vaccines to provide services, after we have enough vaccines, but the community does not give importance, especially booster dose.

Some families with elders over 70 years old are reluctant to get vaccinate, so the official cannot provide vaccinate services.

To make the vaccination to reach the target, the provincial health department will continue to provide services for the Covid-19 vaccine at the service points and continue providing the vaccinations, information about Covide-19 via loudspeaker systems

 

Source: Lao News Agency