Laos takes a major step toward building a low-carbon Health System. As climate change continues to intensify, healthcare systems in Southeast Asia are increasingly facing the dual challenge of responding to climate-related health impacts while reducing their own environmental footprint. In the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), a country which contributes less than 0.05 percent of global emissions yet ranks among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the region, a nationwide effort is underway to address both challenges - beginning with understanding the healthcare sector's carbon emissions. Under the Strengthening Climate Resilience of the Lao PDR Health System Project, healthcare facilities across the country are building the knowledge and capacity needed to measure their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and develop informed strategies for climate mitigation and adaptation within the sector. Supported by the Green Climate Fund, this five-year initiative is implemented by Save the Children International in Laos in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Lao PDR and World Health Organization (WHO). The project aims to strengthen the country's health system resilience by improving healthcare infrastructure, governance, disease surveillance, community preparedness, and climate-informed planning. One key component of the project is being led by Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia (HCWH SEA) and focuses on conducting comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions assessments in 79 healthcare facilities across Lao PDR using Health Care Without Harm's Climate Impact Check-up (CIC) Tool. The assessments will establish facility-level emissions baselines, identify opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency, and generate evidence to support the country's long-term transition toward a low-carbon and climate-resilient health system. Building local capacity through Training of Trainers. A significant milestone was recently achieved through a series of capacity-building workshops that equipped healthcare professionals across the country with the skills to use the CIC Tool. The trainings introduced participants to the fundamentals of healthcare greenhouse gas accounting and provided practical guidance on collecting and analyzing facility-level emissions data. Through these sessions, 20 National Trainers were selected and prepared to lead future trainings across the country, helping ensure that knowledge and technical expertise remain within the national health system. The project is laying the foundation for sustained climate action long after the project's implementation period by strengthening local leadership. "It is important to start with empowering the people who will lead the transformation. Investing in local trainers and healthcare workers is a key step toward strengthening Laos' national capacity to understand healthcare emissions from the ground, and translate data into practical climate action at the national level." - Keoduangchai Nouanphanthakoun (Mickey), Mitigation Coordinator, HCWH SEA Healthcare facilities begin measuring their carbon footprint. Following the Training of Trainers and the Special Coaching Session for Selected National Trainers, the project entered another important phase as healthcare facilities began collecting greenhouse gas emissions data. Over the past few months, 21 healthcare facilities across Salavan and Sekong Provinces initiated their carbon footprint assessments with support from the newly trained national trainers. Healthcare workers are gathering information on energy use, waste management, transportation, refrigerants, and other emission sources using the CIC Tool. The collected data will establish the first baseline of healthcare sector greenhouse gas emissions in these facilities. More importantly, it will provide the evidence needed to guide investments in climate-smart infrastructure, improve energy efficiency, and develop facility-level emissions reduction targets. The findings will also contribute to national planning efforts by informing Lao PDR's carbon mitigation strategies and supporting its commitment to building a sustainable, low-carbon health system by 2030. A long-term commitment to climate-resilient healthcare. The successfully concluded series of training and the start of facility-level data collection are important milestones in a broader journey that will continue through 2029. Over the coming years, the project will expand emissions assessments to healthcare facilities across the country, analyze the collected data, establish greenhouse gas reduction targets, and support continuous monitoring to ensure long-term progress toward climate resilience. As healthcare workers across Lao PDR strengthen their capacity to understand and reduce their facilities' environmental impact, they are helping build a health system that is better prepared to protect both people and the planet. By understanding where emissions come from, healthcare facilities can take informed action to reduce their environmental impact and strengthen their resilience. Measuring emissions is therefore more than a technical exercise, it is also the first step toward building a low-carbon, climate-resilient health system in Lao PDR, across Southeast Asia, and beyond.

Child Power: tackling child poverty. Children's Parliament incorporated want people to take its words and put them into action Member of Children's Parliament Children's Parliament incorporated is pleased to share the early stages of a vital new multi-year project, which Children's Parliament incorporated is delivering in collaboration with Save the Children. Having secured funding from the Robertson Trust's Beyond Pledges fund, Children's Parliament incorporated'll be spending the next two years supporting children's activism, ensuring the views of children are at the centre of Scotland's action to reduce child poverty. Titled, 'Child Power: Growing Children's Activism to End Child Poverty', the project is now underway in Easterhouse, Glasgow. Throughout 2026, Children's Parliament incorporated will focus on supporting children in the locality to campaign for the change they want to feel in their lives. Then, in 2027, the learning from this first phase of the work will be used to support groups of children working with other organisations across Scotland. The overall ambition of the work is to kickstart a sustainable movement of child activism. It's ambitious - but as its partner and funder recognise, ambition is needed for Scotland to reach its target of reducing child poverty to 10% by 2030. At present, the Scottish Government's 2026 review shows an alarming 21% (1 in 5) children are currently living in poverty[1]. Children's Parliament incorporated has done its work, what will YOU do? Its collaboration with Save the Children on this topic started last year, with a short project running from October 2025 to February 2026. This work was specifically aimed at finding out what children think about the causes and impacts of child poverty today. Children shared their views, so that adult decision-makers could consider them ahead of the May 2026 Scottish elections. The children did a fantastic job of promoting their ideas at their February event, which they chose to call, 'Children's Parliament incorporated has done its work, what will YOU do?'. At the event, children highlighted concerns across a range of areas. They talked with adults about how experiencing poverty might affect their relationships and health. They felt that their relationships with friends and family are really important for children to feel happy and safe, and they recognised that not having enough money to get by can be really stressful for the adults in children's lives. The children recognised that poverty can also be a trigger for bullying or missing out on positive life experiences - they thought it was really important for all children to be able to go out for treats and to do things like going to friends' birthday parties or attending clubs. Lots of what children shared can be associated with the high financial costs of basic needs, such as food, clothing, bills and housing. The children also spoke about the cost of toys and the technology that they enjoy using, which helps them to feel connected with friends. All of the participating children stressed that home should be a warm, safe place and that their community should provide safe and fun places to play. To find out more about the children's views, their event, and the project, read the summary report here: Date: 4th June 2026

Sokoto: NGO pushes for socio-economic co-existence. As part of effort to strengthen sustainable peace, social cohesion, and community stability, Save the Child Initiative, with funding from the European Union and in consortium partnership with International Alert and Action Against Hunger, organized a community roundtable discussion on natural resource management and sustainable, conflict-sensitive livelihood practices in Sokoto state. The initiative forms part of a broader peacebuilding project designed to promote harmonious coexistence among community members, particularly farmers and pastoralists, through dialogue, collaboration, and inclusive community participation. The project is expected to be implemented across 10 local government areas of the state, targeting communities affected by tensions arising frm the use and management of natural resources. The roundtable discussion was officially launched at the Sokoto south and Sokoto north local government secretariats, where stakeholders from various sectors gathered to deliberate on strategies for promoting peace and sustainable development within their communities. Participants at the engagement included traditional and community leaders, youth organizations, women representatives, farmers' groups, pastoralists, civil society actors, and government representatives. The gathering provided an open platform for dialogue and experience-sharing on issues affecting peaceful access to and management of natural resources. During the discussions, participants highlighted several challenges contributing to conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, including limited access to grazing lands, destruction of farmlands, climate-related pressures, population growth, and competition over scarce resources. Concerns were also raised about the impact of unresolved disputes on food security, livelihoods, and community relationships. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of adopting conflict-sensitive livelihood approaches capable of reducing tensions and fostering peaceful coexistence among different groups. They further stressed the need for continuous community engagement, early conflict resolution mechanisms, awareness creation, and inclusive participation of youths and women in peacebuilding processes. Speaking during the session, facilitators encouraged participants to embrace dialogue, tolerance, and mutual respect as essential tools for addressing community disputes and strengthening unity. They however noted that sustainable peace can only be achieved when communities work collectively to manage resources fairly and responsibly. The roundtable discussion also served as an opportunity to identify practical and community-driven solutions aimed at improving natural resource management and reducing conflicts. Participants also expressed commitment to supporting peaceful coexistence initiatives and promoting stronger collaboration among farmers, pastoralists, community leaders, and relevant authorities. The engagement marks another significant step toward building resilient and peaceful communities in Sokoto State, while reinforcing the commitment of Save the Child Initiative and its partners toward promoting sustainable development, peacebuilding, and social harmony across the state.