COPE

LAOS - COPE (Co-operative Orthotic Prosthetic Enterprise) was established in 1997 in response to the need to provide local UXO (cluster bombs...from the Vietnam Conflict 1964-73) survivors with the care and support they require, namely by way of orthotic and prosthetic devices.

Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita.  From 1964-1973 during the Vietnam conflict the US Air Force carried out a massive aerial bombardment equal to a plane-load every 9 minutes for 9 years.

• 2 million tons of ordnance was dropped on Laos during this time
• In excess of 584,000 missions were flown by USAF in delivering this ordnance
• In excess of 260 million cluster munitions (bombies) were dropped on Laos during this time
• There is an estimated failure rate of 30% of these bombies dropped therefore there is an estimated number of at least 78 million active bombies still lying in Laos
• 50% of the 1200 patients COPE see per year are UXO (bombie) victims

COPE was formed in 1997 by agreement between the Ministry of Health of Lao PDR and a group of non-Government organisations including POWER, World Vision and Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics.

COPE was created in response to the need to provide UXO survivors with the care and support they required, namely by way of orthotic and prosthetic devices. 

COPE is now a local not-for-profit organisation that works in partnership with the Centre of Medical Rehabilitation (CMR) and provincial rehabilitation centres to provide access to both orthotic/prosthetic devices and rehabilitation services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and paediatric services to people with disabilities.