TARGET DISTRICTS

More than 60% of the population is from the Katang and Makong ethnic groups from the Mon-Khmer ethnolinguistic group. Those two ethnic groups are the most isolated geographically in the districts.
30% of the villages in the 2 districts, and especially ethnic villages, are at more than 10km from the first health center.
Low level of education among Katang and Makong ethnic groups. The illiteracy level is a barrier to the information access. In 2015, less than 40% of the population (age 15-64) in this region was literate[1].
In 2015, between 10% and 20% of the mothers had their first child before age 16[2].
In 2015, the percent of poor people per village was between 80% and 90% in several cluster villages of those two districts[3].
There are almost no HIV cases identified at the district level. Nevertheless HIV seems clearly underestimated in reason of a very low proportion of persons tested.
Village Health Volunteers have little knowledge about HIV and TB.
The TB rates are quite high in the two proposed districts. With 32% of detected cases in Phine and 19.75% in Thapanthong are considered as some priority districts.
Population in Phine and Thapanthong districts are the most affected by malaria after the inhabitants from Nong and Sepon.