ERIA and Lao PDR Advance Development of National Essential Diagnostics List

Luang Prabang, 2-3 September 2026: ERIA, in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Lao PDR and the Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS), organised the Second Technical Working Group Consultative Meeting on the National Essential Diagnostics List (TWGCM NEDL).

The meeting brought together representatives from the MoH of Lao PDR, public agencies, and the University of Health Sciences; Thailand's Ministry of Public Health (MoPH); JIHS; ERIA; and the World Health Organization (WHO). It aimed to finalise the development of Lao PDR's National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) and plan the next steps for its implementation, as part of ERIA's support for regional diagnostics initiatives.

Expected outputs include a revised NEDL in English and Lao, as well as an action plan for its implementation. Over the 2-day meeting, participants discussed a range of thematic areas, including the WHO model for essential diagnostics lists, the ASEAN Essential Diagnostics Lists Initiative (AEDLI), revision of the NEDL, its integration with national laboratory systems and health insurance, procurement, findings from the online survey, recommended interventions, and an action plan for NEDL implementation.

Opening Session

On the first day, Dr Antonio Villanueva of ERIA and Mr Eiichi Shimizu of JIHS delivered welcoming remarks, introducing the ASEAN Essential Diagnostics Lists Initiative (AEDLI) and highlighting the importance of viewing the NEDL as more than simply a list. Both reaffirmed their strong support for Lao PDR and other ASEAN Member States in developing essential diagnostics lists.

Dr Bouaphanh Khamphaphongphane, Director of the National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology (NCLE), and Dr Sommana Rattana, Deputy Director of the Health Care Department and Chair of the meeting, opened the meeting by outlining the role of the NEDL in supporting health workers to detect diseases, guide patient care, and strengthen health system transformation. They also emphasised the importance of external financial support for diagnostics and treatment and called for digitalisation across the diagnostic life cycle, including procurement, quality assurance, supply chains, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

Developing Lao PDR's NEDL

Experts contributed presentations covering key aspects of the development and implementation of Lao PDR's NEDL.
Dr Antonio Villanueva of ERIA presented regional updates on essential diagnostics and introduced a life-cycle approach to diagnostics. He emphasised the importance of diagnostic screening in improving quality-adjusted life years and reducing long-term national healthcare costs.

Dr Youthanavanh Vonghachack of the Health Care Department, MoH Lao PDR, presented plans for the NEDL life cycle, including validation against national guidelines, financing, and laboratory capacity. He highlighted the need to link screening with confirmatory diagnosis, treatment, referral, and quality assurance. He also outlined the framework and next steps for NEDL development in 2025-2026, including the establishment of a Technical Working Group (TWG), a gap assessment, an online survey, a second TWG workshop, a third public consultation, and subsequent implementation and monitoring.

Dr Achmad Solikhin of ERIA introduced Indonesia's Annual Screening Diagnostic Programme, which targets 130 million people, or approximately 595,000 people per day, with support from the National Health Insurance programme.

Dr Summonal Uttayamakul of the National Institute of Health, Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, presented the development, implementation, and challenges of Thailand's NEDL, as well as its action plan and timelines. She also outlined the role of the TWG NEDL and the draft NEDL used for primary, secondary, and tertiary care and blood transfusion services.

Dr Bouaphanh Khamphaphongphane of the NCLE, MoH Lao PDR, outlined the National Laboratory Strategic Plan (NLSP) 2026-2030 and potential mechanisms for integrating the NEDL into the NLSP.

Dr Phouvang Souviyavang, Director of the National Health Insurance, MoH Lao PDR, highlighted the integration of the NEDL into National Health Insurance Bureau (NHIB) packages and presented diagnostic tests for leading causes of disease in Lao PDR that have already been integrated into national health insurance.

Dr Soulivan Keokinnaly of the Food and Drug Department, MoH Lao PDR, presented the laws and regulations supporting medical devices and noted that 72% of medical devices are imported from China.

Dr Phonethipsavanh Nouanthong, NEDL Lao PDR consultant, presented the findings of the national online survey on the availability of and access to essential diagnostics, as well as the current context and strategic alignment of the NEDL. She also outlined the survey's objectives, outputs, and results and provided an update on the first draft of the NEDL.

The meeting then continued with focused group discussions on two key thematic areas: the NEDL and procurement.

Reviewing the NEDL

On the second day, participants were divided into six groups to review Version 2 of the NEDL In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) document. Discussions focused on the results of the group reviews and technical considerations for further refinement.

Dr Jinho Shin of WHO, joining online, introduced the terminology used for essential diagnostics lists and the WHO Model List of Essential In Vitro Diagnostics, an evidence-based reference for in vitro diagnostics. He highlighted the importance of NEDLs in improving quality of care, cost-effectiveness, and health outcomes.

Dr Summonal Uttayamakul shared Thailand's NEDL implementation journey from October 2025 to September 2026 and outlined plans to organise an NEDL seminar on 15 September 2026.

The meeting noted that the NEDL IVD document would be translated from Lao into English. Participants also proposed undertaking a pilot project for NEDL implementation before its formal endorsement in the coming months. The final document is expected to be presented at the next AEDLI regional consultative meeting in Timor-Leste in 2027.

Dr Sommana Rattana, Deputy Director of the Health Care Department, closed the meeting by expressing her appreciation to the TWG members and participants and presenting awards from Luang Prabang.