Home / About BAHP
PROJECT OVERVIEW
BAHP & Project Implementing Units
Four national implementing agencies and three provincial health offices delivering integrated, gender-responsive healthcare to border and migrant communities across Lao PDR.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
A Partnership for Stronger Border Health
The GMS Border Areas Health Project (BAHP) is a $24.95 million investment financed by the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Lao PDR to close the health access gap for border and migrant populations, whose health outcomes are undermined by fragmented services, outdated facilities, and limited continuity of care.
Why This Project
High volumes of cross-border and internal migration disproportionately affect female workers in Special Economic Zones (SEZs), who often fall outside continuity-of-care systems as they move between provinces and across the border. BAHP addresses this systemic gap through upgraded infrastructure, gender-responsive migrant care, and digital tracking via Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Unique Health Identifiers (UHI).
Step 1: ADB Board Approval
Following Q4 2023 recruitment of the DDCS Consultant and key PMU consultants, ADB's Board approved a $24.95 million financing package in March 2024 — a $20 million OCR Concessional Loan (32-year term, 8-year grace period) and a $4.95 million ADF Grant (non-repayable).
Step 2: Project Launch
Loan signing and Loan Effectiveness were declared in May 2024. The Project Management Unit, embedded within the Ministry of Health's Department of Planning and Finance (DPF), was established under an MOH Steering Committee chaired by the Minister of Health.
Step 3: Field Operations
Project Implementing Units mobilised across the 3 target provinces. Hospital construction begins in Phongsali in Q3 2025, followed by Champasak and Savannakhet in Q4 2025.
Step 4: Project Completion (Planned)
Hospitals are scheduled to commence operations in Q3 2028, with the five-year implementation window (2024-2029) concluding in 2029.
3
Target Provinces
5
Hospitals Under Construction
11
Hospitals with EMR/UHI Rollout
$24.95M
Total Investment
Type your paragraph here
FIELD IMPLEMENTATION
How the Project Implementing Units (PIUs) Work
Four national implementing agencies and three provincial health offices carry out BAHP's activities on the ground, coordinating civil works supervision, gender-responsive care, and digital rollout.
PIU Composition
National PIUs — the Cabinet, Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion (DHP), Department of Healthcare and Rehabilitation (DHR), and DPF — work alongside Provincial Health Office PIUs in Champasak, Savannakhet, and Phongsali.
Mandate & Scope
PIUs implement local activities under annual costed workplans — civil works supervision, equipment deployment, gender-responsive migrant care, and EMR/UHI rollout — supported by $60,000/year block grants for community and cross-border activities.
Reporting & Accountability
PIUs submit monthly and quarterly reports to the DPF/PMU in Vientiane, which consolidates progress, ensures DMF compliance, and feeds directly into ADB's biannual review missions.
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
Three Provinces, One Mission
Each target province presents unique geographic and epidemiological challenges. BAHP adapts its implementation to local contexts across Champasak, Phongsali, and Savannakhet.
Phongsali
Border: China, Vietnam
On Track
Provincial Health Office PIU · Construction: Q3 2025
Champasak
Border: Thailand, Cambodia
On Track
Provincial Health Office PIU · Construction: Q4 2025
Savannakhet
Border: Vietnam, Thailand
On Track
Provincial Health Office PIU · Construction: Q4 2025
IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE
From Approval to Completion
BAHP follows a structured 5-year implementation schedule (2024-2029) aligned with ADB's results framework and the Lao National Health Strategy 2030.
Q4 2023 — Recruitment Launch
Recruitment initiated for the DDCS Consultant and key individual PMU consultants, including the Chief Technical Advisor and Procurement Specialist.
March 2024 — ADB Board Approval
ADB approved the $24.95M financing package: a $20M OCR Concessional Loan and a $4.95M ADF Grant.
May 2024 — Loan Signing & Effectiveness
Loan signing and Loan Effectiveness were declared. The PMU was embedded within the Ministry of Health's Department of Planning and Finance.
Q3 2025 — Construction Begins (Phongsali)
Hospital construction breaks ground in Phongsali, the first of the three target provinces.
Q4 2025 — Construction (Champasak & Savannakhet)
Hospital construction begins in Champasak and Savannakhet, continuing across all five facilities.
Q3 2028 — Hospitals Commence Operations
Upgraded and newly built hospitals across the three provinces become operational.
2029 — Project Completion
The five-year implementation window concludes. Financial accounts closed and completion report submitted to ADB.
WHO WE SERVE
Reaching the Most Vulnerable
BAHP's equity lens ensures that ethnic minority groups, women, migrant workers, and vulnerable border populations are prioritised in all project activities.
52%
Ethnic minority beneficiaries across Champasak, Phongsali & Savannakhet
48%
Female beneficiaries — gender parity by design
50
Upland ethnic-group villages reached under gender-responsive community programs
$60K
Annual block grant per PIU for community & cross-border activities