Strengthening neurological skills to improve access to care for the most disadvantaged

Laos, a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, has a population of nearly 7.5 million and continues to face significant inequalities in access to healthcare, particularly in medical specialties such as neurology. The healthcare system, still under development, suffers from a lack of specialized infrastructure and qualified personnel, forcing some of the population to travel to neighboring countries, especially Thailand, to receive appropriate care. However, this option remains inaccessible to the most vulnerable due to cost and distance. In this context, the Lao University of Health Sciences expressed a need to strengthen neurology expertise. Since 2014, in response to a need identified as early as 2005, the Association for the Promotion of Neurology in Laos (APNL) has been supporting the University in establishing a neurology training program. To date, six neurologists have been trained and five residents are currently in training. The 2024–2025 program aims to continue training in neurology and neuroimaging, while supporting already trained professionals, in order to sustainably improve the provision of neurological care in Laos. The goal is to ultimately enable the complete autonomy of local medical teams and guarantee equitable access to specialized care for the entire population.