Lao Red Cross

The Italian Red Cross Society (ITRC) has agreed to provide more than 325 million kips (24.500 euros) to assist the HIV/AIDS prevention programme of the Lao Red Cross in Luang Prabang province.
The project will be implemented by the Lao Red Cross, Luang Prabang Branch from July to December this year.
A memorandum of understanding of the project was signed on 11th June 2008, in Vientiane by Lao Red Cross President Dr. Snivourast Saramany and ITRC National President Massimo Barra, who is also Vice-President of Internationa Federation of Red Cross and Red Crscent Societies (IFRC).

The project aims to contribute to HIV/AIDS prevention and reduce the vulnerability of people who are HIV positive.

Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world are steadily and significantly expanding their first aid programmes and increasing access to first aid services and training for the general public, says the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, on World First Aid Day.

“We’ve come a long way since the battle of Solferino, when Henry Dunant, mobilized volunteers to provide first aid to all the war wounded, regardless of their nationality, nearly 150 years ago (1),” notes Grace Lo, Head of the International Federation’s Public Health in the Community Unit, in Geneva.

“First aid used to be recognized as the domain of medical or para-medical personnel. Today, all experts recognize that the general public must be trained in first aid, because it is effective in saving lives, improving the chances of survival and minimizing the consequences of a road crash or heart attack,” explains Grace Lo. “These skills should also be updated regularly.”

The Lao Red Cross held activities for the public at Horkang in Vientiane on Saturday to markWorld First Aid Day on September 13. This year’s theme was “First Aid for All” andaimed to encourage everyone to be aware of the importance of  first aid in helping accident victims, to prevent disability and loss of life.
Lao Red Cross President Dr. Snivourast Sramany said the organisation’s medical staff had an important job in advising the general public on first aid training. Their goal was to show people how they could help accident victims and improve their chances of survival.
Dr. Snivourast said first aid played an important role in the work of the 186 Red Cross Union member countries, this could be observed from the increasing numbers of staff and volunteers who provided first aid in disaster areas. He said every year Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers trained more than 3.5 million people around the world, teaching them techniques that would save lives and relieve suffering.
Dr. Snivoureat said it was essential for Laos and other countries to increase their knowledge of first aid so that every family could contribute to this international effort. “Everyone the world over should be trained in first aid so they can help those in their family and others who meet with an accident-we shouldn’t discriminate between nationality and skin color,” he said.