Ambassador Paul Beresford-Hill met with Ambassador Anouparb Vongnorkeo, the Permanent Representative of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to the United Nations, on February 9th, 2024.
The Ambassadors’ discussion first touched upon the Order of Malta’s efforts to combat leprosy in Laos, highlighting a previous partnership agreement between the French Association of the Order of Malta and the Lao Ministry of Health. Ambassador Beresford-Hill emphasized their collaborative support for the national leprosy control plan and expressed the Order’s strong interest in resuming its involvement in Laos.
In response, Ambassador Vongnorkeo conveyed Laos’ eagerness to expand cooperation with international humanitarian organizations, particularly in addressing medical challenges. He expressed gratitude for the Order’s past support in combating leprosy and welcomed further medical assistance.
Ambassador Beresford-Hill then shared insights into an innovative approach taken by the Order during the COVID pandemic, the Doctor to Doctor programme. Variations of this initiative have been used in various locations linking local medical teams with world class experts in the UK and Germany by Zoom connection. Ambassador Beresford-Hill expressed the Order’s interest in expanding similar models to other regions, aiming to enhance medical assistance and knowledge sharing.
The meeting highlighted a mutual interest in collaboratively addressing healthcare needs in Laos, as well as promoting international cooperation in medical initiatives.
