Research at IPL
Research is at the core of IPL’s mission. Through laboratory investigations, field studies, surveillance activities, and international collaborations, IPL contributes to a better understanding of infectious diseases affecting Laos and the wider Mekong region.
The institute’s research supports public health decision-making by generating scientific evidence on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, vector-borne diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases, parasitic infections, and other health threats of national importance.
Building Research Capacity in Laos
The establishment of the Institut Pasteur du Laos (IPL) is the result of long-standing discussions between the Lao Ministry of Health and Institut Pasteur in Paris on the need to strengthen national capacity in infectious disease research, training, and evidence-based public health policy.
Like several countries in the region, including Vietnam, Cambodia, and China, Lao PDR sought to develop a modern research facility dedicated to the study of infectious diseases and the generation of scientific evidence to support national health decision-making.
The emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Avian Influenza H5N1 in Southeast Asia further highlighted the need for stronger national capacities to detect, investigate, and respond to infectious disease threats. In response, the Lao Ministry of Health formally requested support from Institut Pasteur in Paris to establish a national institute dedicated to infectious disease research and diagnostics.
Following a series of feasibility studies, Institut Pasteur in Paris agreed to support the Government of Laos in the establishment of IPL as a national institution dedicated to research and training in infectious diseases. The institute was officially created by Prime Ministerial Decree on 16 November 2007 and inaugurated in 2012.
A Collaborative Laboratory Model
A key feature of IPL’s development has been the creation of a collaborative laboratory model designed to combine international scientific expertise with long-term capacity building for Lao researchers.
Through partnerships with countries maintaining strong scientific cooperation with Lao PDR, specialised laboratories were established to support priority areas of research while contributing to scientific training, laboratory development, and knowledge transfer.
This model enabled the creation of:
- Lao-French Laboratory for Arbovirology and Emerging Viruses
- Lao-French Laboratory for Medical Entomology
- Lao-Luxembourg Laboratory for Vaccine Preventable Diseases
- Lao-Japan Laboratory for Parasitology
