Background:: Food taboos during pregnancy can have both positive and negative impacts on maternal and fetal health. While food provides essential nutrients necessary for pregnancy, certain traditional beliefs lead to the avoidance of specific foods. Objectives: : to assess the nutritional status of pregnant women, identify commonly avoided foods, and explore the reasons behind food taboos. Methodology: : A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 366 pregnant women at ≥ 20 weeks of gestation. Data were collected from January to December 2023. Data collection included four components: sociodemographic characteristics, food taboo practices, reasons for food avoidance, and nutritional status. Interviews were conducted using strutted questionnaires, and additional notes were recorded. Data analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software version 23 using descriptive analysis (number and percentages). Results:: The prevalence of food taboos among pregnant women was 48% (174366). Commonly avoided foods included beef, frogs, insects, goat meat, chicken, fish, balut, sea ood, honey, milk, dried buffalo skin, kha vegetables, kao thong vegetables, papaya, kaolame (sticky rice inside the bamboo), and durian fruit. The main reasons for food avoidance were traditional beliefs, concerns about fetal health, fears of difficult labor, perceived risks to maternal health, and concerns about stillbirth. Additionally, some women avoided certain foods due to personal dislikes or allergies. Regarding nutritional status, the majority of pregnant women experienced normal weight gain (59.6%), while 25.4% had mild weight gain, and 15.0% had low weight gain. Conclusion: Pregnant women must balance their nutritional needs with traditional beliefs that have been passed down through generations. Nutritional interventions and counselling should be designed with cultural sensitivity, incorporating local knowledge and the influence of community leaders. Additionally, healthcare providers should be trained to address food taboos in a way that promotes maternal and fetal health.

Background: : Stroke is the first leading cause of death in Lao PDR. In the last ten years, deaths as a result of stroke have increased by 19.5 %. We hypothesized that the global COVID-19 pandemic caused people living with non-communicable diseases to become more vulnerable to becoming severely ill or dying, with a delayed presentation to the Emergency Department and increased stroke severity. Objectives: : To understand the experience for the care service in outpatient department (OPD) visits of patients with stroke before and during the Covid-19 pandemic in Lao, PDR. Methodology: : We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with stroke who were followed up at the Stroke OPD clinics in three central hospitals from April to October 2023 to explore their experiences of care before and during the pandemic. Results: : Among 294 patients, 59.9% were male, and the mean age was 59.5 years (SD 11.9). Almost all (96.9%) of them had been vaccinated against COVID-19. Most (68.4%) reported that they had been affected by factors related to the pandemic when they attended OPD clinics (process/steps of service, number of staff, communication, and social distancing). Participants reported they most valued being seen by a specialist at their follow-up appointments. When comparing the service before and during the pandemic, they noted that staff numbers went down during COVID-19. They were also obliged to test for COVID-19 before appointments. To improve the service in a similar situation in the future, they recommended better communication and health education by using posters and having a process to fix a queue. Conclusion: Stroke services need to consider pandemic preparedness to optimize service delivery for patients in a future pandemic situation.