In Lao PDR, undernutrition remains a critical development challenge—but targeted efforts are creating meaningful change. One of the most impactful initiatives contributing to this progress is the National Information Platforms for Nutrition (NIPN), a project supported by the European Commission, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In Lao PDR, NIPN operates under the government’s National Nutrition Strategy (2016–2025) and Plan of Action (2016–2020), through a strategic partnership between the European Union Delegation and UNICEF.
NIPN’s main goal is to support the reduction of stunting by strengthening the capacity of national institutions to collect, analyze, and use nutrition-related data for evidence-based decision-making. In Lao PDR, NIPN has been fully integrated into national systems, with a robust governance structure led by the Policy Advisory Committee, chaired by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Investment. This committee brings together senior leaders from key ministries and oversees the Data and Policy Analysis Units, ensuring that nutrition policy is driven by reliable data and sound analysis.
One of the clearest examples of NIPN’s impact is seen in the story of Mr. Bounphan Chanmaly, a technical staff member at the Ministry of Education and Sports. As part of the NIPN team, he participated in a series of capacity-building activities aimed at enhancing data literacy and nutrition knowledge across sectors.
“I have benefited a lot, especially through the capacity building. I can now understand data analysis and have gained valuable knowledge about nutrition,” Mr. Chanmaly shared.
His experience is emblematic of the broader transformation taking place across government institutions. Through hands-on training and technical support provided by the Data Analysis Unit, hosted by the Development Research Institute under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Policy Analysis Unit under the Socio-Economic and Policy Research Institute, civil servants like Mr. Chanmaly are now better equipped to use data to inform and influence national nutrition strategies.
By institutionalizing NIPN within Lao PDR’s existing nutrition coordination mechanisms, and investing in the people who drive those systems, the country is making steady progress toward its goal of reducing chronic undernutrition. Stories like Mr. Chanmaly’s underscore how building local capacity can lead to long-term, sustainable improvements in public health policy and outcomes.
