Competing with nearly 2000 projects from 79 countries around the world, the Laotian project PHYDALEAO (PHYto-Desinfectants against the airborne spread of SArs-COV2) has just been selected to be funded by a special fund of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) devoted to the fight against COVID-19.

Dr Sysay Palamy collectant des plantes pour le projet Phydelao

© Eric Deharo

The purpose of this call for projects was to support the academic community's response to the pandemic and to develop solutions with an immediate technological and  social impact to help health systems and populations cope with this unprecedented health crisis.

Taking Asia-Pacific region as a whole, this project led by the University of Health Sciences in Lao P.D.R (in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Science and Technology and Laotian and French higher education and research institutions including IRD and the Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse) received the highest level of funding with €25,000.

Dr Chithdavone HER dans son laboratoire à la faculté de Pharmacie de Vientiane

© Eric Deharo

According to the project manager, Dr. Chithdavone HER, a young professor and researcher from the Pharmacy Faculty, “This is an excellent opportunity for young Laotian lecturers and researchers like us to take advantage of this event to develop an innovative and useful Laotian product that will help the Laotian government fight against COVID-19.”

Under this project, disinfectant products will be manufactured to reduce the risk of virus transmission in shared spaces by limiting the concentration of the virus in the air.

"This AUF Covid-19 call for proposals revealed the full capacity of our member universities in Asia-Pacific to innovate and respond to society's pressing needs in times of pandemic. We can only welcome this achievement and encourage researchers in this direction. This AUF call for projects has once again revealed the crucial role played by universities in the development of societies and in the resolution of their major challenges." said Ms. Ouidad Tebbaa, AUF Regional Director for Asia-Pacific region.  

For more information on this project: http://kpl.gov.la/Fr/Detail.aspx?id=52527