This is the first SSACF project to provide assistance exclusively to Laos. With over 90 percent of the population of Laos living in rural area, rural development, including primary health care, is a crucial factor in promoting the country's shift to a market economy. This year, two training programs were implemented by the Village Foundation in collaboration with Mahidol University and Phon Commercial and Technical College. For each program, 15 Laotian officials visited Thailand for a two-week training course. In the first week, the participants attended lectures and made visits to relevant institutions in Bangkok and nearby cities, and in the second week they conducted field studies in Khon Kaen.