World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

WFP’s vision for Lao PDR is a country that is free from undernutrition and its debilitating impacts on human potential and national development. WFP supports the Government of Lao PDR to prevent and reduce wasting, stunting and micronutrient deficiencies.

Wasting
In emergencies caused by frequent natural disasters, nutritionally balanced emergency food rations prevent people from becoming malnourished, while those who are already malnourished receive treatment. WFP takes the lead on supplementary feeding and provide support on therapeutic feeding programs. In addition, WFP builds the capacity of government counterparts to respond to smaller scale emergencies without assistance.

Stunting
To address high chronic malnutrition rates which persist throughout the country, WFP is taking a lifecycle approach, targeting children during the critical first 1000 days of their life, primary and secondary school students,  pregnant and lactating women and other caregivers as well as households and communities with high chronic malnutrition rates.

To improve the nutritional and health status of pregnant and breastfeeding women and small children, WFP delivers specialised nutrition products that ensure pregnant and lactating women as well as children aged 6-23 months receive all the nutrients they need; encourages women to attend health centres before, during and after delivery; and provides nutrition education at the village level.

In over 1,500 primary schools, WFP combines a nutritious mid-morning snack for children ages 2 to 5 with nutrition-related messages to improve the nutritional status of schoolchildren and their families, and encourage school enrolment and attendance. WFP works in close cooperation with the Lao Government to gradually hand over school meals activities.

Food for asset and cash for asset activities focus on chronically food-insecure households and communities. WFP supports them in creating assets that improve their nutrition and increase their food security in the long term. In areas where farmers produce a surplus but still struggle with high stunting levels, WFP works to enhance productivity and link farmers to markets, and provide nutrition education so the increased income can benefit the nutritional status of the whole family.

Micronutrient Deficiencies
In its efforts to address micronutrient deficiencies, WFP works closely with the government and the private sector to fortify locally produced foods to be used in WFP interventions and marketed across the country.