Reduce Child Mortality
 Strong, healthy children are the future of every country. Around the world, thousands of children die every year from preventable causes: illnesses caused by contaminated water, inadequate immunization, injuries from war and civil conflict, high levels of poverty and malnutrition, HIV/AIDS and the high incidence of malaria and tuberculosis. In 1999 the under 5 mortality rate in the Lao PDR was 106 per 1,000 live births. Goal 4 sets out to reverse this trend by cutting the mortality rate of children under five to only 55 deaths per 1,000 live births by the year 2015. This Goal is inextricably tied to the fight against poverty because the poor are the least likely to receive the health services needed to protect the lives of their children. Currently, only half of the population has access to safe drinking water, and less than half to safe sanitation facilities. Specific sector wide programmes in water and sanitation are under way, however to date have mostly focused on urban areas, further highlighting the rural - urban disparities. Meeting the needs of rural and remote populations is challenging; the provision of medical services is complicated and costly, maintenance of infrastructure difficult, and qualified medical staff in poor supply. Considerable strategies will be required to ensure this MDG is met including improving access for rural communities, and ensuring ethnic and language dimensions are considered.
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Lao PDR