- - -

News item

Laos Government Officials Visit IPPF ESEAOR's Office

The International Planned Parenthood Federation East & South East Asia and Oceania Regional Office (IPPF ESEAOR) received the Deputy Director General of Cabinet from the Ministry of Health Lao who...

The International Planned Parenthood Federation East & South East Asia and Oceania Regional Office (IPPF ESEAOR) received the Deputy Director General of Cabinet from the Ministry of Health Lao who was on a five-day study tour to Malaysia.

IPPF ESEAOR Regional Director, Ms Nora Murat, and Head of Governance and Accreditation, Ms Roshni Prasad, met with Dr Bounfeng Phoummalaisith, one of the four Laos government officials in the group. Dr Thongsavanh Panyavichith, Deputy Director of the Department of Public Administration Development of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA); Mr Sengaloun Nhotleuxay, Chief of CSO’s Management Division of MOHA; Mr Sisavath Thammavong, Technical Officer with the Department of Planning of MOHA, and Dr Somchit Akkhavong, PHHA staff were also part of the group.

During the tour, the group also visited the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MoH), the National Population and Family Development Board (NPFDBB) and the Selangor & FT Family Reproductive Health Association (S&FT FREHA) as well as the MoH and S&FT FREHA clinics.

The group also met with former IPPF ESEAOR Chairman Dr Kamaruzaman Ali and Kedah Medical Centre Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Zabidi Haji Abdul Razak when they visited the Kedah Family Planning Association and the Kedah Medical Centre in the northern region of Malaysia.

The objectives of the study tour, organised by the Promotion of Family Health Association of Lao PDR (PFHA), from 26-30 August 2014 were to:

  • Learn and share the experience of Member Association, the Federation of Reproductive Health Associations, Malaysia (FRHAM), its organisational structure and work in sexual reproductive health (SRH).
  • Observe and understand the health care development and systems in Malaysia, including family planning (FP), reproductive health (RH), maternal and child health (MCH), primary health care and youth health programmes.
  • Learn about a state-owned and private clinic setup in Malaysia.
  • Gain knowledge and understanding on IPPF good governance practice, vision, mission and values, organisational and volunteer  structure, standards and practices on funding and accountability
  • Increase their understanding on IPPF future directions and commitment to Promotion of FHA in Laos since the IPPF project is being merged now with the PFHA.

Overall, the study group found that the visit was very fruitful and hoped that they would work closely with Malaysia in the future.

when