Swiss Red Cross extends support for National Health Insurance Bureau

The Swiss Red Cross (SRC) in Laos is providing 14 billion kip to continue support for the National Health Insurance Bureau to effectively manage the health insurance scheme.
The project will run for three years until December 31, 2024.
The new funding support aims to improve equitable access to healthcare services by strengthening social health protection schemes through the National Health Insurance Bureau.
A newly signed Memorandum of Understanding will expand efforts to improve effective and adequate Universal Health Coverage policies at the National Health Insurance Bureau under the Ministry of Health.

The agreement on the contribution to Universal Health Coverage in Laos, 3rd Phase (CUHC3) was signed in Vientiane on Wednesday by Swiss Red Cross Country Representative in Laos, Mr Jean-Marc Thome, and Director General of the National Health Insurance Bureau, Mrs Aphone Visathep.
The signing ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister of Health Dr Snong Thongsna, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao Social Security Organisation, and several health development partners, both at the ceremony venue and via video link.
Under the agreement, the two parties will jointly participate in enabling poor and vulnerable populations to better access publicly funded health care services without experiencing financial hardship.
The MOH-SRC CUHC3 partnership provides technical and financial support to the National Health Insurance Bureau (Ministry of Health) with a focus on the reform of the National Health Insurance scheme and capacity building within the National Health Insurance Bureau and Health Insurance Bureaus across the country.
The Memorandum of Understanding was jointly signed by the National Health Insurance Bureau, representing the Ministry of Health, and the Swiss Red Cross, inaugurating an expected successful project implementation.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr Snong Thongsna said the government is committed to pursuing reforms aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2025, ensuring that all people, with a heavy focus on the most vulnerable groups such as mothers and children, have equitable access to quality health services without experiencing financial hardship associated with the use of health services through strengthening and implementing social health protection schemes.
The project aims to continue to address the primary role of public health care, include improving public health through financial equality in access to quality health services with a focus on the poor and disadvantaged, he added.  
This enables the National Health Insurance Agency to effectively manage health insurance funds at all levels and contribute to the development of the health sector and the effective and effective implementation of health policies, Dr Snong said.
In the past, the Swiss Red Cross has provided technical, financial, material and equipment assistance for use in local public health and improved policies to protect public health design policies, he added.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
 (Latest Update December 16, 2021)