VIENTIANE – The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Health, togehter with development partners, meet in the Lao capital to discuss the progress of the Lao Social Indicator Survey (LSIS) – a nationwide household survey to measure social development, applying the technical frameworks of the Multiple Indicator Cluster (MICS) and Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). The survey, conducted from September 2011 to February 2012, gathered data from 20,000 households in 1,000 villages around the country.

The LSIS combines two surveys that were previously conducted separately: the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (1996, 2000 and 2006) and the Lao Reproductive Health Survey (1995, 2000 and 2005). The survey focuses on health, covering reproductive health, maternal health, child health and nutrition, contraception, sexual behaviour, and HIV/AIDS. It also collects data regarding education, violence, access to media and use of information, child development, and water and sanitation.

The survey is targeted at monitoring the country’s progress on achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It will be used as baseline data for the 7th National Social Economic Development Plan. The initiative, an estimated USD 1.6 million, also aims to avoid duplication of efforts by different development partners, to improve the quality of data and to use resources more effectively.

The funding and technical support for the LSIS were provided by UNICEF, AusAID, USAID, the Government of Luxembourg, UNDP, WHO, WFP, JICA, UNAIDS, SDC and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

In the following months, LSIS teams will continue to check and process data. A preliminary analysis of the survey will be conducted in April 2012. The initial reports are expected to be ready by this year’s June or July, to be followed by consultation workshops around August. The final report will be released by the end of this year.

For more information, please contact: 
Diego De La Rosa, tel. +856 21 315 547 ext.116, drosa@unfpa.org