Mapping and Analysis of Stakeholders Involved in the Supply Chains of Antibiotics in Lao PDR

• In Event: Antimicrobials in Livestock: Practices, Technologies, Markets, and Regulations

Abstract

Following key measures promoted by international organisations to tackle antibiotic resistance, the Lao Government wants to implement new regulations about access to veterinary antibiotics in food animals. As there is a lack of data about the flow of antibiotics and the actors involved in the drug supply chain, we undertook a qualitative research to describe and analyse the roles and interactions of the stakeholders involved in the management of antibiotics.

We first collected available information about access and source of antibiotics. We then organised two focus group with key informants, in order to identify key actors, their interactions and their roles. Finally, 21 individual semi-structured interviews were done in four districts to analyse stakeholders’ positions regarding the new regulations.
We managed to identify 22 main stakeholders involved in the drugs supply chains, with their respective role, influence and connections. We mapped formal and informal pathways of antimicrobial supply. Finally, we considered actors’ interests and identified eventual behavioural constraints related to two future regulations about veterinary drugs of eight key stakeholders.

By looking at the situation from the key stakeholders’ perspectives, we were able to determine whose interests should be taken into account in priority. Because we conducted our study before the implementation of the new decree on veterinary antibiotic access, our results will allow the Lao government to interact more effectively with key stakeholders, to overcome their doubts early and increase their support for the implementation of the new regulations.

Authors

• Mariline Poupaud, CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France

• Vannaphone Phouthana, National University of Laos, Faculty of Agriculture, Vientiane, Lao PDR

• Alessandro Patriarchi, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, B

• Domingo Caro, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, B

• Claire Khoury, CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France

• Natthasit Tansakul, Kasetsart University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand

• Flavie Luce Goutard, CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France