The Delivery Kit of the Swiss Laos Hospital Project

To make childbirth safer for all Lao women

The Problem

In rural areas, most Laotian women still give birth at home. Due to the inadequate hygienic conditions, avoidable infections are frequent – and sometimes they have serious consequences. For example, the umbilical cord is usually cut with non-sterile bamboo knives.

Our Solution

The Swiss Laos Hospital Project therefore developed a delivery kit as a simple, cost-effective and scalable measure many years ago. It contains soap, latex gloves, a simple blanket, a scalpel, a clamp for the umbilical stump, a compress and a navel disinfectant (Triple Dye Blue). The delivery kit is produced in Laos; this lowers the production costs to only US$4 per kit, and it supports the local economy as well.

The delivery kit is distributed free of charge to pregnant women throughout the country. The aim is to produce and distribute 100,000 sets annually. A television film has been made to educate the population, and the national media regularly report on it.