The Lao government has partnered with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Indian Government to prepare for the large-scale fortification of rice in a bid to reduce high rates of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.
The initiative was introduced during the National Workshop on Fortification: Advancing Sustainable Nutrition Security in Laos, held in Vientiane on 28 August. Health officials and development partners discussed establishing national standards and a regulatory framework to guide the production of fortified rice.
Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly iron deficiency anemia, remain a major health concern in Laos.
Government data shows that about 40 percent of women of reproductive age and 44 percent of children under five are affected, resulting in fatigue, stunted growth, and poor learning outcomes.
In 2020, the economic impact of anemia-related health issues was estimated at more than USD 241 million.
Officials at the workshop said rice fortification offered a cost-effective and practical solution, pointing out that rice is consumed daily by almost every household in the country, making it an effective vehicle for delivering essential vitamins and minerals.
The Indian Government, which operates the world’s largest rice fortification program benefiting over 400 million people, is contributing both technical expertise and funding to support Laos. With Indian backing, the Lao government launched its own rice fortification project earlier this year.
The Ministry of Health is spearheading the national effort through its Nutrition Center and Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion, while WFP serves as the implementing partner. WFP brings more than 30 years of global experience in food fortification and has supported similar initiatives in over a dozen Asian countries.
Representatives from WFP stressed that clear standards and strong regulation would be crucial to ensure that fortified rice remains safe, high-quality, and trusted by the public.
The Vientiane workshop marked the beginning of a consultation process to develop a national framework. Once completed, the framework is expected to help Laos integrate fortified rice into its food system and improve nutrition across the country.
The Lao government has outlined its key priorities for September, focusing on stabilizing the economy, improving infrastructure, and maintaining national stability.
These decisions came during the two-day monthly meeting of the cabinet and provincial governors on 25–26 August, chaired by Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.
Economic Measures, Workforce Support
To strengthen the economy, the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of the Lao PDR will work to stabilize exchange rates and maintain foreign reserves.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has been tasked with lowering production costs for essential goods such as rice, pork, eggs, and fish, balancing supply and demand, and curbing non-essential imports.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will tackle shortages of animal feed to support livestock farmers.
Education and workforce development are also priorities. The Ministry of Education and Sports will ensure the new school year begins smoothly and address teacher shortages by appointing volunteer teachers as civil servants, particularly in rural areas. Once appointed, these teachers will receive a regular salary.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare will focus on returning migrant workers, collecting data, providing training, and creating jobs to support their reintegration.
Infrastructure, Legislation
Infrastructure improvements remain a key priority. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport will speed up road construction and repair flood-damaged infrastructure to improve connectivity between provinces.
With the rainy season ongoing, provincial authorities have also been instructed to monitor water levels in reservoirs and dams and issue timely warnings to reduce storm risks.
Meanwhile, draft legislation on anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, asset seizure, health impact assessments, and railway law penalties is under revision.
Economic, Social Progress
The government also reported positive economic and social progress in August. Inflation fell to five percent, foreign reserves covered nearly five months of imports, and budget revenue reached almost LAK 47 trillion (USD 2.1 billion), or 69 percent of the annual target.
Rice cultivation reached 97 percent of the seasonal goal, cash crop exports earned over USD 88 million, and livestock exports brought in USD 1.16 million.
Tourism also grew, with 2.35 million foreign visitors in the first eight months of 2025, up 12 percent from the same period in 2024, while domestic trips rose 46 percent to 2.46 million.
Looking ahead, the government called on all sectors to prepare for upcoming central and provincial Party congresses, as well as official visits abroad by Party and state leaders.
As schools across Laos reopened on 1 September for the new academic year, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone urged the public to embrace the new semester with optimism while acknowledging the challenges still facing the nation’s schools.
In his message, the prime minister described the first day of school as “an important event for the education, science, and sports sector”.
He reaffirmed the government’s long-standing pledge to put education “before other tasks” and at the center of national development.
Sonexay praised progress achieved over the past year, including improvements in school infrastructure, expanded school meal programs, and measures to reduce dropout rates.
Education Gains Overshadowed by Teacher Shortages
However, the prime minister warned that pressing issues remain: high dropout levels, teacher shortages, and the urgent need to expand vocational and higher education enrollment.
The teacher shortage in particular has become a defining challenge for Laos as the new semester begins.
During the government’s monthly cabinet meeting in late August, ministers prioritized education alongside measures to stabilize the economy and repair infrastructure.
The Ministry of Education and Sports was instructed to ensure a smooth start to the school year by addressing staff shortages.
One immediate step is the appointment of long-serving volunteer teachers as civil servants, especially in rural areas, enabling them to receive a steady salary.
Soldiers Sent to Ease Severe Rural Teacher Shortfalls
In many provinces, schools are severely understaffed, leaving classrooms without qualified teachers. To provide an immediate stopgap, authorities have turned to an unusual solution: enlisting soldiers to serve as substitute teachers.
The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education and Sports announced in June that 2,000 soldiers will be trained and deployed to schools in hard-to-reach villages.
The program includes specialized teacher training and offers rank promotions and financial incentives to participating military personnel.
Several provinces have already begun implementing the initiative.
In April, Phongsaly and Luang Prabang launched programs to collect data on the worst-affected schools and prepare officers for training. Those who complete the course will receive an additional 70 percent of their basic salary as motivation.
Despite these efforts, the scale of the crisis remains stark. In Savannakhet’s Xepon district alone, only nine of 109 schools are fully staffed, leaving more than 500 teaching posts vacant.
Elsewhere, rural families continue to pull their children out of school due to long travel distances, lack of dormitories, and worsening economic pressures.
Laos Moves Toward Large-Scale Rice Fortification to Fight Malnutrition
The Lao government has partnered with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Indian Government to prepare for the large-scale fortification of rice in a bid to reduce high rates of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.
The initiative was introduced during the National Workshop on Fortification: Advancing Sustainable Nutrition Security in Laos, held in Vientiane on 28 August. Health officials and development partners discussed establishing national standards and a regulatory framework to guide the production of fortified rice.
Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly iron deficiency anemia, remain a major health concern in Laos.
Government data shows that about 40 percent of women of reproductive age and 44 percent of children under five are affected, resulting in fatigue, stunted growth, and poor learning outcomes.
In 2020, the economic impact of anemia-related health issues was estimated at more than USD 241 million.
Officials at the workshop said rice fortification offered a cost-effective and practical solution, pointing out that rice is consumed daily by almost every household in the country, making it an effective vehicle for delivering essential vitamins and minerals.
The Indian Government, which operates the world’s largest rice fortification program benefiting over 400 million people, is contributing both technical expertise and funding to support Laos. With Indian backing, the Lao government launched its own rice fortification project earlier this year.
The Ministry of Health is spearheading the national effort through its Nutrition Center and Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion, while WFP serves as the implementing partner. WFP brings more than 30 years of global experience in food fortification and has supported similar initiatives in over a dozen Asian countries.
Representatives from WFP stressed that clear standards and strong regulation would be crucial to ensure that fortified rice remains safe, high-quality, and trusted by the public.
The Vientiane workshop marked the beginning of a consultation process to develop a national framework. Once completed, the framework is expected to help Laos integrate fortified rice into its food system and improve nutrition across the country.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2025/08/29/laos-moves-toward-large-scale-rice-fortification-to-fight-malnutrition/
Lao Sets September Priorities to Strengthen Economy, Infrastructure
The Lao government has outlined its key priorities for September, focusing on stabilizing the economy, improving infrastructure, and maintaining national stability.
These decisions came during the two-day monthly meeting of the cabinet and provincial governors on 25–26 August, chaired by Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.
Economic Measures, Workforce Support
To strengthen the economy, the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of the Lao PDR will work to stabilize exchange rates and maintain foreign reserves.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has been tasked with lowering production costs for essential goods such as rice, pork, eggs, and fish, balancing supply and demand, and curbing non-essential imports.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will tackle shortages of animal feed to support livestock farmers.
Education and workforce development are also priorities. The Ministry of Education and Sports will ensure the new school year begins smoothly and address teacher shortages by appointing volunteer teachers as civil servants, particularly in rural areas. Once appointed, these teachers will receive a regular salary.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare will focus on returning migrant workers, collecting data, providing training, and creating jobs to support their reintegration.
Infrastructure, Legislation
Infrastructure improvements remain a key priority. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport will speed up road construction and repair flood-damaged infrastructure to improve connectivity between provinces.
With the rainy season ongoing, provincial authorities have also been instructed to monitor water levels in reservoirs and dams and issue timely warnings to reduce storm risks.
Meanwhile, draft legislation on anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, asset seizure, health impact assessments, and railway law penalties is under revision.
Economic, Social Progress
The government also reported positive economic and social progress in August. Inflation fell to five percent, foreign reserves covered nearly five months of imports, and budget revenue reached almost LAK 47 trillion (USD 2.1 billion), or 69 percent of the annual target.
Rice cultivation reached 97 percent of the seasonal goal, cash crop exports earned over USD 88 million, and livestock exports brought in USD 1.16 million.
Tourism also grew, with 2.35 million foreign visitors in the first eight months of 2025, up 12 percent from the same period in 2024, while domestic trips rose 46 percent to 2.46 million.
Looking ahead, the government called on all sectors to prepare for upcoming central and provincial Party congresses, as well as official visits abroad by Party and state leaders.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2025/08/28/lao-sets-september-priorities-to-strengthen-economy-infrastructure/
Laos Starts New Academic Year Amid Worsening Teacher Shortage
As schools across Laos reopened on 1 September for the new academic year, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone urged the public to embrace the new semester with optimism while acknowledging the challenges still facing the nation’s schools.
In his message, the prime minister described the first day of school as “an important event for the education, science, and sports sector”.
He reaffirmed the government’s long-standing pledge to put education “before other tasks” and at the center of national development.
Sonexay praised progress achieved over the past year, including improvements in school infrastructure, expanded school meal programs, and measures to reduce dropout rates.
Education Gains Overshadowed by Teacher Shortages
However, the prime minister warned that pressing issues remain: high dropout levels, teacher shortages, and the urgent need to expand vocational and higher education enrollment.
The teacher shortage in particular has become a defining challenge for Laos as the new semester begins.
During the government’s monthly cabinet meeting in late August, ministers prioritized education alongside measures to stabilize the economy and repair infrastructure.
The Ministry of Education and Sports was instructed to ensure a smooth start to the school year by addressing staff shortages.
One immediate step is the appointment of long-serving volunteer teachers as civil servants, especially in rural areas, enabling them to receive a steady salary.
Soldiers Sent to Ease Severe Rural Teacher Shortfalls
In many provinces, schools are severely understaffed, leaving classrooms without qualified teachers. To provide an immediate stopgap, authorities have turned to an unusual solution: enlisting soldiers to serve as substitute teachers.
The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education and Sports announced in June that 2,000 soldiers will be trained and deployed to schools in hard-to-reach villages.
The program includes specialized teacher training and offers rank promotions and financial incentives to participating military personnel.
Several provinces have already begun implementing the initiative.
In April, Phongsaly and Luang Prabang launched programs to collect data on the worst-affected schools and prepare officers for training. Those who complete the course will receive an additional 70 percent of their basic salary as motivation.
Despite these efforts, the scale of the crisis remains stark. In Savannakhet’s Xepon district alone, only nine of 109 schools are fully staffed, leaving more than 500 teaching posts vacant.
Elsewhere, rural families continue to pull their children out of school due to long travel distances, lack of dormitories, and worsening economic pressures.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2025/09/01/laos-starts-new-academic-year-amid-worsening-teacher-shortage/