On August 5, 2014, representatives from the Ministry of Health and the U.S. Embassy participated in a trachoma survey conducted in Ban NongKok, Bachiang District, Champasak Province. Trachoma is an infection that usually inflicts children ages 1-9 and, if left untreated, can lead to permanent blindness. As part of a five year long program funded by the United States, teams consisting of national and local government health department officials, academics from higher education institutions and not-for-profit agencies have treated children in sixteen provinces throughout Lao PDR. This joint U.S.-Lao program was the first of its kind to be implemented in all of Asia.
