Progress toward sustainable influenza vaccination in the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic, 2012-2018.

Despite global recommendations for influenza vaccination of high-risk, target populations, few low and middle-income countries have national influenza vaccination programs. Between 2012 and 2017, Lao PDR planned and conducted a series of activities to develop its national influenza vaccine program as a part of its overall national immunization program. In this paper, we review the underlying strategic planning for this process, and outline the sequence of activities, research studies, partnerships, and policy decisions that were required to build Laos' influenza vaccine program. The successful development and sustainability of the program in Laos offers lessons for other low and middle-income countries interested in initiating or expanding influenza immunization.

Understanding male sexual behaviour in planning HIV prevention programmes: lessons from Laos, a low prevalence country.

METHODS: Focus group discussions were conducted with a range of young men in Vientiane, Laos; interviews were conducted with male sex workers. A questionnaire survey was conducted with a purposive sample of 800 young men. RESULTS: Most young men initiate sex at an early age and have multiple sex partners. Married men are more likely to pay for sex and most sex for money is negotiated in non-brothel settings. Despite high reported condom use for last intercourse with a casual partner, decisions on condom use are subjective. Many men have extramarital sex when their partner is pregnant and post partum. 18.5% of men report having had sex with another man; most of these men also report having sex with women. Moreover, more men report having had anal sex with a woman than with a man. CONCLUSIONS: Although not a probability sample survey, this study of a broad range of young men in Vientiane reveals sexual behaviours that could lead to accelerated HIV transmission. Education should emphasise the need to use condoms in all sexual encounters outside the primary relationship. This needs special emphasis when the partner is pregnant or post partum. Advice on safe sex with other men needs to be integrated into all sexual health education for young men.