CDC Division of Global HIV & TB country profile : Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has collaborated with multilateral, governmental, non-governmental, and civil society organizations to adapt, evaluate and implement new tools, programs, and policies to combat HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and tuberculosis (TB) in Laos since 2009. CDC initiatives promote and demonstrate sustainable epidemic control solutions that have been adopted, integrated, and scaled up into existing health systems by the government and stakeholders. CDC supports activities for persons living with HIV (PLHIV) by working with the Lao People's Democratic Republic Ministry of Health (MOH), World Health Organization (WHO), and partners in five high-burden provinces to\u2022 Increase detection of undiagnosed HIV patients through HIV index testing and other case-finding strategies.\u2022 Improve antiretroviral therapy (ART) literacy, linkage from voluntary counseling and testing sites to ART facilities, same-day/rapid ART initiation, adherence, retention to care, and viral suppression among PLHIV by promoting data utilization for quality improvement and coaching.\u2022 Expand ART access by decentralizing HIV treatment services to point-of-care (POC) ART sites.\u2022 Strengthen TB/HIV co-infection and opportunistic infections management.\u2022 Improve national laboratory quality, coverage, and data monitoring of existing HIV rapid test, HIV-1 viral load test, and HIV recent infection test external quality assurance programs.\u2022 Reduce HIV stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings.\u2022 Strengthen healthcare workforce capacity on HIV prevention, treatment, laboratory, and strategic information.\u2022 Strengthen strategic information systems and local human resource capacity to monitor andevaluate the national HIV program.\u2022 Support a phased transition to a sustainable government-led response.Laos.pd