National plan of action for rural water supply sanitation and hygiene

This document provides a framework for the sector development in future in Lao PDR. The National Plan of Action supports the realization of the resolution of the IX plenary of the Central Committee Congress, the resolution of the Ministry of Health’s VII Party Congress, as well as the 7th National Socio-Economic Development Plan, 2011-2015. The government’s four breakthrough approaches focuses on new thinking, human resource development, improving management, governance regulations and systems, and poverty eradication. In addition the National Plan of Action will support implementation of 6 programmes and priority targets of the VII Health Development Plan for 5 years and its realization with focus on 64 focus zones for integrated development. The National Plan of Action is designed to promote community ownership of water and sanitation provision, and to equip communities with the skills to operate and maintain these services in a sustainable manner. The National Plan of Action places great emphasis on monitoring and evaluation of the sustainability and access to and use of rural water sources and sanitation in terms of quality and quantity. The role of the National Plan of Action is to set objectives and identify ways to attain the millennium development goals by 2015 of which goal 7 – Environmental Sustainability include water and sanitation. The targets of 80% of population have access to water supplies and 60% to sanitation, will allow Lao PDR to graduate from Least Developed Country status by 2020. [extract from foreword]