On 7 November 2025, ICARS-supported project teams participated in the 4th Academic Public Health Conference of the Lao Public Health Association in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR. Under the theme “Challenges and Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals related to health in Lao PDR”, the conference convened stakeholders from across the country to discuss and celebrate solutions to national health challenges.
Phonepaphay Thammavongsa, Ms Minaphone Luangpadith, Dr Kanchana Thilakoun, and Dr Sonephet Vantava accept their awards.
Spotlighting successful interventions
Project teams presented posters and delivered presentations to the 320 participants in attendance.
During the second plenary session, Dr Somphou Xayasone, Vice Director at Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute (Lao TPHI), presented insights from an ICARS-supported project aimed at improving appropriate antimicrobial use among pregnant and postpartum women, and children under 5 years old in hospitals in Lao PDR.
The project aims to address the frequently reported overuse and misuse of antibiotics for obstetric conditions and procedures, through updated and standardised antimicrobial stewardship programmes and infection prevention and control guidelines.
Dr Xayasone’s presentation included an overview of the ICARS-supported project, outlining its rationale, target population, and the collaborative methodology involving multiple stakeholders. He also presented an overall baseline results, which revealed low adherence to national guidelines and notable misuse of antibiotics, particularly in cases of normal vaginal delivery. These findings highlight the need to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship programs across all hospitals, alongside reinforcing infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and patient health education.
Later, Dr Xayasone was joined by her colleague Dr Khampheng Phongluxa, Director of the Lao TPHI, to present two posters about antibiotic resistance.
The first poster shared an overview and the results of an ICARS-supported study into the knowledge, attitudes and practices of key stakeholders regarding antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance in Vientiane Province, Lao PDR. The study highlighted persistent misconceptions about AMU and AMR within communities, which could lead to inappropriate use of easily accessible antibiotics. Within their presentation, the delegates discussed the need for context-specific interventions that promote responsible antimicrobial use within communities.
Presenting the second poster, the delegates shared the findings of an ICARS-supported study into antimicrobial prescription patterns in obstetrics, gynaecology, and paediatric wards in four targeted hospitals in Lao PDR. The study concluded that inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in all three wards is a significant concern nationally, emphasising the need for improved antimicrobial stewardship programmes adapted to the local context.
At the closing of the conference, ICARS PhD student Sonephet Vantava won ‘the best oral presentation’ based on the project study title on point prevalence and retrospective audit in obstetrics & gynaecology and paediatric wards across four hospitals in Lao PDR.
Read more about ICARS work around the world, including in Lao PDR, here.
