Health and education needs of ethnic minorities in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region

The Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) is characterised by ethnic diversity. People from the ethnic minority groups in the GMS are handicapped by lower-than-average levels of health and education, and have not benefited from expanding economic opportunities or been able to contribute actively to economic development.

This report, produced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), presents a synthesis of the health and education needs of the ethnic minority populations in the highland provinces of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam. It is based on the results of the country studies that were conducted in each country by local teams. The report begins by describing the status of ethnic minorities in the target countries. This introduction is followed by a discussion of crosscutting themes that pertain to ethnic minorities and the social sector. It concludes with the presentation of a series of points as the recommendations coming from the study’s research. [adapted from authors]