Why is the healthcare system failing for mothers and young children in Lao People’s Democratic Republic? This research will analyze the socio-political effects of Lao PDR to better understand why the infant mortality rate and the maternal mortality rate are drastically high. The main argument of this research is that political instability and unstable infrastructure are the factors that have affected the affordability for the country to be able to provide adequate medical resources. Lao PDR is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and comparatively the rest of the ASEAN nations differ in maternal and infant healthcare substantially. Lao PDR’s critical health issues reflect that the country is not assimilated as the rest of the ASEAN community. In order to better understand the reasons of a failing healthcare system, qualitative analysis will be the primary method of performing research. Mishandling finances and political instability amongst politicians and stakeholders are inevitably the downfall for Lao PDR’s healthcare.
