Laos: Improving Services that Help Those Affected by UXO in Laos
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Boune, Mouang, and Vone were victims of an unexploded ordnance after a fire heated the explosive.
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March 21, 2003 was an exceptionally cold day in Na Vit, Houaphan Province and even schools were closed because of the cold. Like many villagers, Bouaphaeng built a fire in front of his house along the village main road. Because there was no school, seven girls decided to go to the forest to gather bamboo shoots. When passing the fire, the girls stopped to enjoy the blaze. Some did not stay long, but Boune and three other girls stayed to keep warm. Suddenly, the heat from the fire caused a bomb buried under the fire to explode.
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Boune with her mother and younger sister in Na Vit.
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Boune was seriously injured. "I heard this loud explosion but did not have time to realize what it was. I heard voices but did not know what happened to me. Later the doctor told me that I already died but they brought me back [she was resuscitated]. I stayed only one day in Houaphan hospital but I was losing so much blood and my stomach was so injured that they could not help me. They sent me to the hospital in Vientiane where I received intensive care for almost three months," says Boune, now 14 years old.
Vone, the second girl was injured on the face and lost an eye. Mouang, the third girl, was the least injured, with only an ankle injury. The three girls received medical assistance from the War Victims Assistance Project. They are now back in school and are doing well.
From 1964 to 1973 Laos suffered from some of the heaviest aerial bombing in world history, the equivalent of one planeload of bombs dropped every eight minutes around the clock for nine years. Many of the bombs did not explode on contact, and have been buried over time by soil and debris. This unexploded ordnance (UXO) has caused thousands of deaths and injuries and continues to pose major threats to farmers and children living in affected areas.
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War Victims Assistance Project
Unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Laos has caused thousands of deaths and injuries, and continues to pose major threats to farmers and children living in the affected areas. Since 1995 World Education has been assisting UXO-affected communities through the War Victims Assistance Project. The project not only helps upgrade the medical, surgical, and emergency services, but also develops a UXO awareness curriculum for primary schools, and has trained teachers to use effective, child-centered teaching methods to help children learn important lessons about UXO injury prevention. Present funding comes from the US Agency for International Development, US Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement at the U.S. Department of State, private donors for support of medical treatment and follow-up of UXO patients, and from the McKnight Foundation. Former funders include the Japanese International Cooperation Agency and UNICEF.
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Since 1995, World Education has been assisting UXO-affected communities through the War Victims Assistance Project. The project works to upgrade the medical, surgical, and emergency services of district and provincial health facilities so that those injured—like Boune—have a greater chance of survival and full rehabilitation.
Staff at the hospital where Boune was taken have received training to improve the quality of emergency and surgical care. In addition the Project has upgraded equipment, improved pharmaceutical, data collection, and administrative systems, and renovated emergency and operating rooms.
By improving the quality of care in hospitals, such as this one in in Houaphan Province and in 9 district hospitals in Laos, World Education helps decrease post-surgery infection rates, deaths, and permanent disabilities of the 100-200 people affected by UXO every year.
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