In the framework of the Lao case study about foodborne parasitic zoonoses in southern Laos, the Lao team of ComAcross Project and the Tropical Disease Research (TDR) Laboratory from Khon Kaen University will work together at community level to improve FBZD management, capitalizing long-lasting experience gathered in the framework of the Lawa project.

Indeed, the TDR laboratory has implemented an Ecohealth to address foodborne parasitic zoonoses in Lawa lake area (Southeast Thailand). The Lawa model is a success story in terms of community based awareness rising and environmental management with significant results regarding diseases prevalence.

The team in charge of the Lao case study went to visit the Lawa’s site, where Prof. Banchop from TDRL presented a concrete experience and success implementation of the integrated One Health work. At village level, the health volunteers expressed strong commitment and motivation to collaborate with Khon Kaen University research team, notably because of concrete evidences of Opisthorchis viverrini (liver fluke) risk for their communities.

 

This collaborative effort seems to have strongly inspired the Lao ComAcross team working on similar issues in Southern Laos. It raised pathways for exchanging experience and knowledge for practical implementation in Laos. One key point that Dr. Panomsak Promburom made, was “The possibility to bring this great experience into practice in Laos. We need to go deeper on the identification of key constraints / limitations / obstacles / gaps for implementing this kind of integrative research and action in Laos”.