Lao and foreign officials attend a ceremony to mark Laos’ membership in the School Meals Coalition. - Vientiane Times/ANN
VIENTIANE: Laos has announced its official membership in the School Meals Coalition, a global alliance dedicated to enhancing child nutrition, education and well-being through comprehensive school meal programmes.
This significant step reflects the Lao government’s ongoing commitment to improving the health and educational outcomes of children across the nation.
By joining the School Meals Coalition, Laos aligns with 100 countries around the world that are committed to expanding and improving school meal programmes as a critical investment in the future of their children.
The Coalition aims to ensure that every child has access to a nutritious meal in school by 2030, supporting achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).
The inclusion of Laos in the Coalition marks a new chapter in the country’s efforts to improve education attainment through increased learning outcomes, while combatting child malnutrition.
Over 33 percent of children in Laos suffer from chronic malnutrition, which affects their cognitive development and academic performance.
Currently, Laos’ national programme covers 25 percent of primary schools around the country, providing meals to 250,000 children.
As a new member of the School Meals Coalition, Laos will focus on expanding its current school meal initiatives, strengthening its collaboration with local and international partners to address the problem of child malnutrition.
The government aims to leverage international expertise, resources, and best practices through the Coalition to continue developing a sustainable, locally sourced school meals programme that meets the dietary needs of students, while supporting local agriculture and the economy.
Minister of Education and Sports, Associate Prof. Dr Phout Simmalavong, said “Joining the School Meals Coalition is a critical step forward in our national strategy to improve child health and education.”
“Nutritious school meals are essential not only for student health but also for their academic success, in order to become qualified human capital for a more developed country. We look forward to working with regional and global partners to build a brighter future for our children.”
French Ambassador to Laos, Siv-Leng Chhuor, said France is all the more delighted with the accession of Laos to the Coalition as it was one of its earliest promoters.
Laos is a priority country on France’s nutrition roadmap, since Lao authorities prioritise school meals as a condition to the development of the country and its people.
To underline this, France has been supporting efforts to counter food insecurity and malnutrition in Laos through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) since 2019, with contributions amounting to 3.3 million Euro.
The School Meals Coalition offers Laos the opportunity to engage in global dialogues, share experiences, and learn from the successes of other member countries.
This collective effort will help Laos accelerate its progress towards national and global development goals, ultimately contributing to a healthier, more educated and prosperous society. - Vientiane Times/ANN
