NIHR-HSPR-PA- Understanding the policy and system dynamics to improve palliative care in Lao People's Democratic Republic
Project disclaimer
Description
Palliative care is a fundamental human right, yet accessibility of palliative care in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) remains extremely limited, with only a small fraction of those in need receiving appropriate care. This project aims to improve palliative care services in Lao PDR by estimating the current and future need for palliative care, analysing the structure and performance of the health and social systems, and developing a simulation model to support better policymaking. The research study is led by the Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute (Lao TPHI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Laos Cancer Center, Karunruk Palliative Care Center of Khon Kaen University, and Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, and the research will be conducted in Vientiane Capital, Luang Prabang, and Champasack Provinces for a 36-month period from 2025 to 2028. The project will measure serious health-related suffering (SHS) among people living with advanced and irreversible diseases, assess how the healthcare system currently supports palliative care, and engage stakeholders to design a system dynamics model. This model will help policymakers test different strategies virtually before implementing them in the real world. The final goal will be a decision-support tool to guide the design of cost-effective strategies to reduce suffering and improve the quality of life for patients and families. The research project is essential to inform national health strategies and to address the growing burden of serious health-related suffering in Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Objectives
The project has 3 objectives: 1. To estimate the burden of serious health-related suffering for deceased and non-deceased living with an advanced and irreversible disease in Lao People's Democratic Republic and to project the future burden. 2. To conceptualise the structure, dynamics, governance, and value chain of the social and healthcare system to provide continuum of care for patients with advanced and irreversible diseases. 3. To create a comprehensive system dynamics model that analyses the impact of different intervention strategies to improve the quality of life and wellbeing for patients at the end of life, as well as their families and caregivers.
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Download IATI Data for GB-GOV-10-HPSR_Project_1_158924
Programme data last updated on 21/10/2026