Laos

This section contains an expanded situation analysis, and details about the Laos Country Flexible Program.

Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), also known as Laos, is located in the South-eastern Asia and borders China, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. Due to its location, a combination of border security and large construction projects that facilitates the movement of both drugs and people through the region, Laos is experiencing new drug markets and linking to regions with high levels of injecting drug use and high HIV.

Until recently, opium remained the most commonly used drug in the Laos. The prevalence and impact of drug use was considered relatively limited and for many years the patterns and numbers of opium use remained stable with the typical consumers being male farmers from the northern and north-west provinces.

Although the overall number of injecting drug users (IDUs) in Laos is considered to be low, the risk of IDU emergence remains very serious due to Laoss close proximity to countries that have high prevalence of IDU. Increasingly, there are increasing reports of blackwater opium and heroin injection and evidence that some groups are injecting Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS). The most common route of administration for both opium and ATS is smoking although many report ingesting ATS.

Furthermore, due to its location in a region with close proximity to major amphetamine production sites and its porous borders with neighbouring countries, it is not surprising that recent studies suggest an increasing uptake of ATS in Laos with young people favouring ATS over opium. ATS is also consumed by female sex workers (FSWs) and clients in discos and by unemployed youth in Vientiane.

Overall, the Laos remains a low prevalence country with an estimated 0.1% HIV prevalence.  However, Laos's low HIV prevalence does not necessarily indicate low risk with trends indicating that HIV is on the rise.

With ATS use increasing, it is highly possible that HIV infection rates will increase dramatically from their current low level since ATS usage is often associated with risky sexual behaviour. Furthermore, because of the geographical location in the heart of the Mekong region, IDU, unsafe sexual practices, Laos is in danger of an expanding epidemic.


Map of Laos. Source: Google Maps