ThaiHealth Joins Efforts with the Smart Community Smart Network to Host the Forum “Fostering Synergy for Innovation towards Sustainable Community Health in 2024”, Addressing 7 Health Issues and 21 Goals to Tackle National Challenges

In early July, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), in collaboration with the Smart Community Smart Network, held the forum “Fostering Synergy for Innovation towards Sustainable Community Health in 2024” under the theme “Local Communities Join Hands to Solve National Issues”. The event focused on empowering local communities to address issues from the community to the national level. It was held at IMPACT Forum, Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi Province, with 5,725 participants from 530 networks across Thailand.

Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, M.D., CEO of ThaiHealth, stated that the forum “Fostering Synergy for Innovation towards Sustainable Community Health” is now in its 13^th year, which bears a testament to the unwavering power and potential of local communities, contributing to sustainable local communities, self-governed local communities, and livable local communities. The goals include 1. Synergizing the Smart Community Smart Network and the health promotion network through collaboration among local communities, private organizations, public interest organizations, government agencies, state enterprises, and other government entities; 2. Raising awareness of critical issues, leading to the prevention and resolution of problems within local communities and the country; 3. Sharing knowledge on community health practices towards ThaiHealth’s strategic goals; and 4. Expanding unique ideas and approaches for advancing health promotion through a place-based, integrated approach.

Currently, ThaiHealth supports 3,618 networks of the Smart Community Smart Network nationwide to foster participation, learning, and change through 4 main entities, including local areas, localities, government sectors, and community organizations. They tackle health issues, such as safe food, household vegetable gardening, community economy, household job creation, promotion of physical activity for all ages, environmental management, and participatory community health. These issues are analyzed to identify risk factors and enabling factors for achieving sustainable self-governed local communities.

Amidst the ongoing changes in all dimensions, empowering and preparing communities requires collaboration in three areas:

1. Synergizing efforts by enhancing capabilities, translating policies into practice, sharing knowledge and innovations; this involves utilizing the power of local forces, encompassing government agencies, private sectors, academic institutions, and NGOs, along with the power of leaders to develop community health promotion networks and integrate innovations to address local issues, and the power of organizations to empower efforts.
2. Developing innovations by utilizing social capital and the community’s potential for self-governance across social, economic, environmental, health, and political issues; and
3. Fostering sustainable community health by implementing strategies to empower local communities to manage their areas, develop community innovations, and achieve integration in the community.

The Smart Community Smart Network and the health promotion network have jointly declared a commitment to direct their efforts. This focuses on local areas and is rooted in the King’s philosophy of “Understand, Reach out, Develop”, “Explosion from within”, and “Sufficiency Economy Philosophy”. It covers 7 areas and 21 goals: 1) enhancing holistic quality of life for elderly; 2) promoting mental health and caring for psychiatric patients; 3) developing community economy and addressing household debt; 4) promoting community food systems; 5) responding to climate change-induced disasters; 6) reducing tobacco use; and 7) empowering children and youth through community initiatives.

The 13^th year of the Smart Community Smart Network’s collaborative efforts will contribute to the development of community health and quality of life across all levels, strengthening the country and, in turn, creating vibrant and livable local communities.