Over 6,300 people were relocated after their villages were flooded to fill the reservoir during construction of the massive dam.

According to the results of a survey presented at the third annual Journées de Nakai scientific meeting on June 28, public health indicators in the resettled population demonstrate marked improvements in a number of areas, including reduced infant and under-five mortality, declining parasitic infestations, and better nutritional status among young children.

The two-day meeting, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Health, Institut Pasteur Laos, and the NTPC, brought together Lao and international medical doctors and scientists in various fields, including ethnology, nutrition, entomology, parasitology and agro- economics.

The partnership between the various organisations and scientists started in 2007 prior to the impoundment of the Nakai reservoir, created for the Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric facility, which started generating electricity in March this year.

The partnership follows the health status of the villagers who moved to new purpose-built villages on the shore of the reservoir.

Various reasons were presented to explain the improved health of the population. NTPC has built two clinics in Nakai and renovated the district hospital in Oudomsouk.

In addition, it works with the district health service to bring new skills, equipment and working practices to the public health sector.

Health and nutrition education is given to villagers, and vitally, the resettlement villages have a clean water supply and latrines, which were absent before the Nam Theun 2 Project.

The NTPC health programme received a Sustainable Development Trophy in a worldwide competition organised by Electricité de France in early June this year, in recognition of the progress made.

According to NTPC's Nakai Resettlement Manager, Marcel Frederick, food supply and living conditions have also improved in Nakai since resettlement, with annual rice shortage periods greatly reduced and consumption of protein rising.

Meanwhile the Institut Pasteur Laos has been working with the Ministry of Health to provide additional technical expertise in infectious diseases, helping the partnership to monitor and control parasite infections and vector-borne diseases.

The meeting also discussed wider issues to arise from the health work in Nakai, including ethical considerations in public health research programmes and the role of traditional therapeutic practices in Lao culture.

Deputy Head of the Khammuan provincial health office, Dr Phasouk K hammanithong, placed special emphasis on ownership and sustainability in the programme, saying local doctors and health workers needed to take on full responsibility for the structures set up by NTPC to ensure that the progress made could be sustained and expanded to build on the initial successes.

Vientiane Times, 02 July 2010