UPDATES ON HEALTH PROMOTION

Thailand is the second-largest tobacco-leaf producer in the ASEAN and the 16th in the world. According to the Tobacco Authority of Thailand, there are roughly 75,000 tobacco farmers across the country. Aree Sunlem, a 60-year-old villager of Baan Ta Pae Nua, in the southern province of Satun, used to be one of them. In the past, he usually rolled a cigarette smoking several times a day. Thanks to the Muslim Thais Well-being Promotion Foundation, he has completely quit smoking. In addition, he has also turned his tobacco farmland into a vegetable farm growing morning glory, cucumber, and eggplant on a rotational basis. Mr. Sunlem is one of the many people in Muslim communities in the South who joined the foundation’s project. Since 2018, he has switched from growing tobacco to other viable crops for the good health of his family and community. introducing crop diversification Studies show that the smoking rate in Muslim communities, particularly in the South, is high. This prompted the Muslim Thais Well-being Promotion Foundation to launch a  project in communities that will impact tobacco use and also support the livelihood of the tobacco farmers. According to Dr. Isra Sarntisart, Chairman of the Muslim Thais Well-being Promotion Foundation, he and his team have conducted a pre-survey on tobacco cultivation in the pilot communities. They found that there...

Dr. Prakasit Kayasit Deputy Manager of Thai Health Promotion Foundation Acting Director of Organizational Health Promotion Section    How to be called a “livable local community” is the key topic that the network has been working on for over 14 years in a bid to jointly create livable local communities in Thailand. Since 2009, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) led by the Organizational Health Promotion Section has been working following the plan by empowering, strengthening and enhancing local administrative bodies, community leaders, social group and local governmental units for driving a local community operational system to become a “Joint Network of Livable Local Community”. The topic of work requires the network to consider all related dimensions, including physical, mental, intellectual, social and environmental health, in order to drive the mission of establishing livable local community towards the goal. The office has a crucial role to create a joint-learning process, drive a public policy at the sub-district, district and provincial levels, and run campaign advocacy for strengthening community health based on the following two principles: 1. Area-based Development, and 2. Health in All Policies – HiAP. The goal is to establish over 3,000 healthy sub-districts, communities, livable local communities and self-administrated local communities nationwide by putting in practice the strategic implementation of strengthening local community (S-2I) to support the “Tri-Power Strategy” employed by...

  Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) headquarters participated in a regional meeting with the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) representatives. Taking place on June 14th, 2023, at the Health Promotion Learning Centre, this meeting was part of the ‘Needs Assessment for Implementing the WHO FCTC in Thailand’ led by Dr Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC.       Commended by Dr Marquizo, ThaiHealth is one of Thailand’s and the world’s most important organisations which serves as a vital mechanism to initiate, reinforce, and support the tobacco control efforts for over two decades as seen in its collaboration with various sectors. The visit of WHO-FCTC delegation to Thailand aimed at reviewing the Thai legislation, strategies, policies, and measures concerning tobacco control, and conducting a needs assessment in both academic and financial aspects. The purpose of the visit was to provide recommendations for Thailand’s further development in aligning with the WHO FCTC framework to strengthen and enhance tobacco control efforts in the country.     In response, ThaiHealth CEO, Dr Supreda Adulyanon, mentioned that since its establishment, ThaiHealth has strongly and consistently collaborated with various sectors, resulting in successful reduction of tobacco consumption from 25.5% in 2001 to only 17.4% in 2021. Thailand is the country where cigarette tax is imposed the...

…the cause of diseases among Thai people is rooted from “sweet tooth behaviour”   According to statistics by the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board, Thai people consume on average 25 teaspoons of sugar a day, an excessive amount which is much higher than the limit suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The changing lifestyles are causing Thai people to consume 4 times more sugar than the suggested amount, resulting in 75% of Thailand’s population falling ill and dying from NCDs at the rate of about 1,000 people per day — while the trend is increasing. (Data from: Estimation of health impacts from sugary beverage tax increase in Thailand)   ThaiHealth campaigns for Thai people to “Reduce Sweetness, Reduce Diseases” for good health on the public level   Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) is putting emphasis on health promotion work at the public level seeing that people are considered an important factor to make the health promotion effort successful for the past 21 years. Joining hands with its network partners to pass on health-related knowledge, ThaiHealth has been supporting the establishment of Sweet Enough Network to campaign for Thai people in general to adjust their eating habits by disseminating correct understanding under the concept of “prevention before treatment” on the public level starting from households, communities, organisations, all...

Dr. Nuttapun Supaka, Acting Director of Academic and Innovation Section Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) Many people misunderstood that “innovation” is about technology, IT or digital-oriented only. In fact, innovation is about new concept or new procedure that solves a problem and leads to change. In terms of health, “health Innovation” is also initiated in order to develop social, environmental and holistic health as concept or innovation that cover physical, mental, wisdom and social dimensions based on integrated creativity.   Due to this reason, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) as an organization working on health promotion following a mission to “inspire, invigorate, create and enhance individuals, communities and institutions and all stakeholders to equip with capacity and creativity to drive social system towards good health” works to support health innovation by creating innovators. So they can be a part of development and create useful and practical innovation for public to utilize. ThaiHealth lights up health innovation development by having initiated ‘ThaiHealth Inno Awards’ since 2017 to give youths at high school levels and vocational students nationwide to submit health innovation proposals which can reduce health risks while promoting sustainable good health.   Year 2021 is the fourth year that the Prime Minister gives ThaiHealth a permission to use the title “Prime Minister’s Award for Health Promotion Innovation 2021”. This is...

Dr Pairoj Saonuam Assistant Chief Executive Officer and Acting Director of Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Section, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth)   “Sugar” is a silent health problem that is much overlooked. Our body will change the overconsumed carbohydrate and sugar into fat. This is when the overweight problem begins. Too much fat level in blood vessel can cause inflammatory. Prolonged health problems can cause risk of NCDs particularly diabetes.  High sugar level symptoms can lead to many complicated health issues including macular abnormality, chronic kidney disease, stroke and other complications, causing a long-term impact on health, patient’s way of living and household cost. Blood sugar low symptoms is called “Bao Waan” in Thai. The wording could mislead that it is light sweet. In reality, over 463 million global population are diagnosed each year. Of the total, four million are in Thailand. New diabetes cases tended to be on the rise. This health issue is not only caused by genetic problem, but also innutritious consumption behaviour, lacking physical activity, drinking alcohols and smoking. These risk factors lead to NCDs regarded as the cause of 3 out of 4 deaths or over 40,000 deaths/year among Thai population.   Changing lifestyle could lead to a change in consumption behavior. Thais eat foods and drink beverages having sugar contents four times higher than the...

‘Poor Kidneys!’ Popular delicacies such as all-you-can-eat and Mukratha buffets, and ready-to-eat meals are one of the causes of NCDs among 22 million Thai people who consumed almost double the suggested limit of salt consumption. The Ministry of Public Health, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), Mahidol University, and Less Salt Network, have backed the policy to reduce the sale consumption among Thai people by 30% by 2025 to reduce the risk of diseases. Feb 7, 2023 — Director General of Public Health Ministry’s Department of Disease Control, Dr Thares Krasanairawiwong, spoke at the Department of Disease Control that the emergence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) has become one of the country’s biggest health problems with fatality rate of 73%. And one of the root causes of these diseases are excessive amounts of sweeteners and salt. As for salt, Thai people averagely consume 9.1 grams of salt per day, higher than World Health Organisation’s suggested amount by 1.8 times (suggested amount is 5 grams per day). Consumption of such an amount could cause high blood pressure, which, in turn, leads to life-threatening complications. There are reportedly 22.05 million hospitalised patients related to the consumption of excessive sodium, 13.2 million with high blood pressure, 7.6 million with kidney diseases, 0.75 million with heart diseases, and half a million people with stroke.   According...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has promoted good health through physical activities in the recent hosting of TPAC 2022 aimed at reducing NCDs in the population. Jan 30, 2023 — In preparation of ThaiHealth’s 22nd anniversary, Advisor to the ThaiHealth Board of Directors, Dr Udolsilp Srisaengnam, said that the organisation was aiming to inspire, encourage, and empower all sectors in Thai society to achieve good health in all 4 dimensions: physical, mental, intellectual, and social, by co-organising the first “Thailand Physical Activity Conference 2022” or TPAC 2022 together with Thailand Physical Activity Knowledge Development Centre (TPAK), Mahidol University’s Institute for Population and Social Research, and its strategic partners in the government, private, social, academic, and community sectors. Themed under “Integrating Knowledge for Physical Activity Regeneration”, the conference will promote health under strategic framework in 7 aspects: 1) physical activity, 2) food, 3) tobacco, 4) alcohol and drugs, 5) road safety, 6) mental health, and 7) environment with an emphasis on health equality. Advisor to Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medicine, Dr Prasit Watanapa, said that the human capital necessary for a healthy lifestyle is composed of knowledge, skills, health, and morality. It all starts with knowing oneself, tracking one’s own weight and body mass index (BMI), avoiding unhealthy food and drink, eating food according to nutritional principles with focus on vitamins...

ThaiHealth Senior Vice President and Acting Director of ThaiHealth Learning Centre, Benjamaporn Limpisathian, has delivered a keynote speech at the launch of “ThaiHealth Watch 2023” to follow up on the direction of Thai people’s health situation in the coming year of 2023. Themed “Changing Society, Changing Lives”, the ThaiHealth Watch project aims to raise awareness among Thai people and promote behavioural development for their healthy futures.   Khun Benjamaporn said that ThaiHealth has joined forces with several academic networks to develop innovations under the ThaiHealth Watch project aiming at giving information and health risk factors that tend to emerge in the modern era. The “Changing Society, Changing Lives” concept is to promote behavioural changes among Thai people by reducing their own health risk factors and be ready to quickly cope with modern social situations with understanding, which will lead to a sustainable health society.   She also said that ThaiHealth Watch 2023 proudly presents 7 important health direction issues:   rn Long-Covid Conditions: The viruses are gone but they’ve left something behind. Half of the people who got infected with coronavirus in any given time were found to have long-covid conditions. Worse, more than 1 out of 4 NCD patients are at high risk of affecting their mental health and lifestyles in the long run. rn Synergy is the Solution:...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) is mobilising its forces to go forward with the Thai health system in their organising of the international workshop serving as a platform for health-related personnels to exchange experience stories and develop Thailand’s knowledge base for the betterment of all people’s health.   ThaiHealth joined hands with the Ministry of Public Health, the International Health Policy Development Bureau, the National Health Security Office, the Office of the National Health Commission, and the Thai-WHO framework on Enhancing Leadership in Global Health Thailand (CCS-EnLIGHT), in organising a grand workshop titled “Health and Well-Being in All Policies: Thailand Experience” during November 21-25, 2022 at Bliston Suwan Park View Hotel, Bangkok. At the workshop, ThaiHealth CEO Dr Supreda Adulyanon delivered a presentation on the issue of health policy advocacy through health promotion work. As a host, he also welcomed the study visit delegation to the Health Learning Centre comprising participants from 9 countries: Bhutan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste. The delegation included medical personnel, public health experts, university professors, as well as representatives from civil society organisations in their respective countries. Dr Supreda said the workshop’s objectives were to share Thailand’s experiences with other developing countries in hope of strengthening their healthcare, health security, health promotion, as well as the development of policies of...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has joined forces with civil societies from Laos, Vietnam, and IOGT-NTO alcohol policy movement organisation of Sweden, to develop innovative fiscal and monetary mechanisms under the effort to push forward towards a legislation of health promotion laws to reduce risk factors.   ThaiHealth, the Promotion of Family Health Association from Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and the Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD) from Vietnam within the IOGT-NTO Movement network, recently conducted a study tour to Thailand’s model organisation for health promotion on October 25, 2022. Director of ThaiHealth’s Partnership and International Relations Section, Dr Nuttapun Supaka, said that the country’s policy to concretely promote health by setting up the independent Thai Health Promotion Foundation which receives a budget from 2% of excise tax collected from alcoholic beverage and tobacco sales according to the principle that requires people who buy alcohol and tobacco to pay taxes themselves. This is considered a suitable and innovative financial mechanism for health promotion and academic assistance. ThaiHealth’s practices can be employed in relatively low-to-middle-income countries in setting up health promotion funds that reflect the benefits for all parties without affecting the federal budget which must be prioritised in other projects to be spent in developing the country in other aspects.   Dr Nuttapun further explained that in the...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and World Health Organization South-East Asia Region (WHO-SEARO) have partnered up to help build healthy urban communities in a recent announcement at the regional meeting among regional and international health promotion organizations on urban governance and building health security, pushing for promotion at home in Thailand, and South-East Asia Region .   Sep 27, 2022 — ThaiHealth, WHO-SEARO, Regional Laboratory on Urban Health Governance for Health and Wellbeing (UGHW), and Swiss Development Cooperation, co-organized the “Regional Meeting with Multisectoral Partners on Urban Governance for Health and Wellbeing in South-East Asia Region” at Pullman King Power hotel. The meeting, which was kicked off today and will continue until September 29, serves as a forum where members of various sectors come to discuss matters of urban governance and health promotion in South – East Asia Region. ThaiHealth Asisstant  CEO, Dr Pairoj Saonuam, said that the meeting’s goal is to give information about progress in the implementation of the Healthy City programme in South-East Asia region. The meeting will also introduce various tools to support the development of urban health. Dr Pairoj also added that the meeting also enhanced working partnerships between the health sector and the urban development sector through the Healthy City Network with various sectors. The activities included a knowledge exchange session, showcase of good...

by Dr. Pairoj Saonuam, MD. Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) Acting Director of Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Section   Over the past two decades, the situation of child obesity in Thailand has become more severe. A number of children suffering obesity also tends to increase in the future. Following the fifth survey report on children’s medical check up conducted in 2014 and health surveillance data from Public Health Ministry’s Health Data Center (HDC) as of 8 March 2022, children aged 1-5 years having symptoms that could lead to obesity and those suffering from obesity increased from 5.8% – 11.4%. Meanwhile children aged 6-14 years also increased from 5.8% to 13.9%. In addition, teenager having obesity symptoms were at 13.8%.     Nevertheless, if we do nothing, or depend on our same old working mechanism, the impact of obesity on Thai children would be doubled in the next ten years. To make it clear, a project on policy research and development study at Mahidol University’s Institute for Population and Social Research studied obesity in Thai children and predicted the issue would increase from 27% in 2020 to 35% in 2030 and 67.5% as the worst case scenario. Without any control measure, a number of Thai children suffering from obesity symptoms would increase from 3.3 million to 3.5 million and...

Phongsak Thongratana Director, Health Promotion in Organizations Section Thai Health Promotion Foundation   Nowadays, the COVID-19 pandemic situation has resulted in an economic standstill. Entrepreneurs are the hardest hit. Many organizations need to cope with the situation and seek ways to maintain employment status and minimize the impact on quality of life among their workers, while enhancing organizational capacity without downsizing or foreclosure. Adaptability is the key to strengthen organizational resilience and readiness to face any future change.   Interesting information about a group of countries having continuous economic growth, for example the United States, researched by Bankrate LLC, a consumer financial service company, showed the Great Resignation would be likely as 55% of labor workforce in the US tended to resign from their jobs by the end of 2022. Monster.com website found that the key to resignation is Burnout Syndrome, leading to unhappiness at work, stress, affecting health, boredom and eventually resignation.   Such information is also related to resignation among labor workforce in Thailand following the Social Security Office’s unemployment registration database. Of the total 88,119 registered unemployed cases, 77,143 are self resignation, accounting for 87.54%. Such rate has reflected that they are not happy with their employment. On the other hand, working with happiness is an important factor for these people.   The key to build a...

The Public Health Ministry’s Department of Health Service Support (DHSS) and Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) have joined hands to improve the workflows among village health volunteers, doctors, and public health staff, as well as to upgrade the health care services offered by village health volunteers.   Aug 16, 2022 — Ministry of Public Health, DHSS, and ThaiHealth co-organised an academic conference on empowering village health volunteers for the country’s 6th public health zone, which includes Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Prachinburi, Chachoengsao, Samut Prakan, Chon Buri, Chanthaburi, and Trat. The conference took place at Golden City Hotel, Rayong province. DHSS Deputy Director General Dr Phanuwat Panket said that the village health volunteer (VHV) has been one of the most important public health mechanisms for this country. It has been around for more than 4 decades and the position includes as many as 1,050,000 village health volunteers in every village of the country. So now it was time to upgrade a village health volunteer into a village doctor in order to take the health care closer to people’s homes. In order to achieve the goal, the health coalition organised a series of projects to enhance the capacity of VHVs to upgrade the level of service so as to become stronger health leaders for villages in every corner of the country. The conference...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), its strategic network, and Thammasat University, have announced the launch of Social Telecare platform to enhance the multidisciplinary network with a project to interlink NHSO data piloted in 89 hospitals nationwide in order to upgrade the services offered in Thailand’s health care system. Aug 22, 2022 — ThaiHealth and Thammasat University and strategic partners jointly organised a press conference to announce the launch of a new system built to enhance the work of multidisciplinary workforce, and the launch of Social Telecare platform to maximise the social health care coverage in the form of “Social Telecare Sandbox” in each community. Director of ThaiHealth’s Office of Health System Development Support, Dr Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, said that the project will help promote the development of multidisciplinary skills in social workers so that they can work better to support the primary health care system. At the top of the project, social workers will have sufficient knowledge, working skills, and social care network mechanisms to deal with vulnerable patients. This Social Telecare platform will be introduced to expand the coverage areas to provide support for the primary health care system effectively. “ThaiHealth has continuously been promoting the development of multidisciplinary potentials in social workers. Social worker is considered an important profession that helps people who face social problems and uses available...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has organised a grand opening of “Think for Kids” — the knowledge centre for child and family policy under a worrying situation of children and family in 2022, while pushing for the new draft of children and family policy for good health in order to cope with three-pronged crises: Covid-19, inequality, and social and political problems.   Healthy Child, Youth, and Family Promotion Section Section of ThaiHealth and the 101 Public Policy Think Tank (101 PUB) jointly organised a public discussion on “Thai Children and Families in 3 Crises of 2022: Child and Family Situation Report” on August 22, 2022, where the establishment of “Think for Kids” Centre was announced. ThaiHealth's Director of Healthy Child, Youth, and Family Promotion Section, Ms Nattaya Boonpakdee , explained that in order to create a society where new generation of children have the opportunity to grow up with quality, well-being, and the ability to utilise their potential to drive their society to the fullest, the establishment of “Think for Kids'' centre will fill the gap as an important milestone as ThaiHealth aims to drive forward the work of children, youths, and family to the future based on quality knowledge that is not far away from the new world norm. The “Think for Kids” centre emphasises on working knowledge and communicating with...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and its strategic network are together empowering new-generation innovators by organising the 5th  Thailand Inno Award for Health Promotion 2022 to develop and support creativity in the community of youngsters and to upgrade award-winning innovations that can be implemented in Thai society.   Aug 19, 2022 — ThaiHealth’s Acting Director of the Academics and Innovation Section, Dr Nuttapuan Supaka, spoke at the Innovation Camp to develop the potential of new innovators in health promotion innovations that the activity is part of the 5th  round of ThaiHealth Inno Award. Initiated in 2017, this round has marked the 2nd  year of conferring the Prime Minister’s Award for Health Promotion to the winning young innovators. Taking place at Maenam Ramada Plaza Hotel in Bangkok, the Prime Minister presided over the award ceremony to present the awards for the winning innovators. The Innovation Camp is organised to support the development of knowledge and creativity power for new-generation innovators in their health promotion work with two target groups: general individuals or startups, and innovators from ThaiHealth’s network partners, with the main objective of implementing the innovations in real life.   The innovation contest is expected to bring about real-life implementation of the innovative approaches. Some of the examples are the application of roadside milestones made of rubber by the Department...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has joined hands with Me Books Malaysia to develop “MeBooks” mobile app for living storybooks compacted with stories in 4 languages on the concepts of bringing books to life, while praising the initiatives as a good business model with a goal of reaching out to as many as 100,000 kids by the end of 2022, reinforcing Thailand’s success in developing health innovations to an international level.   Aug 16, 2022 — ThaiHealth CEO Dr Supreda Adulyanon said that the prolonged coronavirus pandemic situation has seriously affected Thai children, depriving them of countless learning opportunities. More than 4 million children in Thailand at the prime age of 80% of nerve and brain development need to be supported in their growth development. For this matter, ThaiHealth’s SOOK Enterprise and Me Books Malaysia Sdn Bhd are jointly developing a living storybook mobile application titled “Me Books” with the concept of disseminating health-related edutainment through fun stories in 4 languages that can systematically develop children’s learning abilities. Upon completion, the storybook mobile app is expected to reach out to as many as 100,000 children by the end of 2022. “Me Books application aims to develop intelligence, personality, and emotional intelligence, as well as reduce the communication gap between family members. It is ready to be a channel to enhance...

The Senate Committee of Integrated Emergency Rescue and Road Safety and Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) have set to submit three proposals for road and crosswalk safety to the Ministry of Transport following the recent report of 2021 where 8% of people injured in accidents were pedestrians trying to cross the streets, while pointing out that “speed” is the main cause, claiming 70% of the total fatalities. The proposals will also urge motorists to stop their vehicles for pedestrians to cross the road before the crosswalks to reduce accidents and losses of life.   Aug 24, 2022 — The Senate Committee of Integrated Emergency Rescue and Road Safety, representatives from ThaiHealth, along with representatives from the Ministry of Transport, Department of Land Transport, and strategic partners, jointly organised an activity day titled “Stop Loss, Stop Cars for Crossing Pedestrians”. This year, which is the seventh year since introduction of the activity, saw a movement from the alliance to submit the proposals to the Permanent Secretary for Transport to step up measures for better prevention of road accidents involving both motorists and pedestrians, especially at hotspots of zebra crossings. Senator and Committee Chair, Mr Surachai Liangboonlertchai, said that even though the road accident count has dropped significantly over the past three years, the road accident statistics collected in 2021 indicated that...

Thai mothers are reportedly breastfeeding at the rate lower than the world standard of 6 months, and are found to have insufficient knowledge about breastfeeding — which translates to a lack of a system to encourage more mothers of newborns to breastfeed longer with correct knowledge including mother’s milk is concentrated with nutrients and helps with building immunes. The new campaign by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) expects half of all Thai babies to receive breast milk by 2025. Assistant CEO of ThaiHealth, Dr Pairoj Saonuam in his capacity of Acting Director of Healthy Lifestyle Promotion Section, said that in order to promote healthy lifestyle from the very birth to old age, especially the child development, ThaiHealth has joined hands with Thai Breastfeeding Centre in organising an online seminar titled “6 Months of Mother Milk’s Miracle — encouraging mothers to breastfeed while building immunes for babies’ whole life”. The seminar aimed at tightening cooperation of network partners to develop a knowledge-based set of guidelines for the 6-month breastfeeding programme in order to help prevent serious conditions from Covid-19 in newborns. Explaining further that breast milk is an excellent source of nutrients, Dr Pairoj said that breastfeeding is economical and safe, making it the most important healthy food and nutrition. It is also a strong foundation for the good health,...

Sep 1-2, 2022 — Thai Health Promotion Foundation’s (ThaiHealth) Director of Partnership and International Relations Section, Dr Nuttapun Supaka attended Thailand’s first congress on “Health Promoting University for Sustainable Development” and the 12th International Conference on Public Health Among Greater Mekong Sub-Regional Countries 2022 (12th ICPH-GMS: 2022) hosted by Khon Kaen University at Grand Palazzo Pattaya Hotel, Chon Buri province. The twin conferences were conferred upon by Director General of Department of Disease Control and Acting Permanent Secretary of Public Health Ministry, Dr Ophas Karyakawinpong. Joining the congresses are the full committee of Thai University Network for Health Promotion (TUN-HPN), including Assoc Prof Napharenu Saccharak Thirathiti, Vice Rector for International Relations and Corporate Communications of Mahidol University; Prof Dr Narin Hiransuthikul, Vice Rector of Chulalongkorn University; Dr Jirawat Pasara, Assistant Rector of Chiang Mai University; Asst Prof Dr Thaweelarp Tansawasdi, Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Burapha University; Prof Dr Wongsa Laohasiriwong, Dean of Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University; Asst Prof Dr Chitchamai Ovadlaraporn, Director of Security Management Centre for Occupational Health and Environment, Prince of Songkhla University; Dr Wiwat Rojanapitayakorn, Advisor to the Board of Directors of Mahidol University. In capacity of the ASEAN Network of Health Promotion (AUN-HPN), the attendants included Assoc Prof Dr Phudit Tejatiwat, Director of the ASEAN Institute for Health Development of Mahidol University;...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has participated in the online round of the 19th International Network of Health Promotion Foundation (INHPF) 2022, organized by Health Promotion Administration (HPA) of Taiwan on August 17, 2022. ​ Led by Dr Supreda Adulyanon, ThaiHealth CEO, the ThaiHealth delegation of participants included Dr Prakasit Kayasit, Deputy CEO, Dr Pairoj Saonuam, Assistant CEO, and Dr Nuttapun Supaka, Director of Partnership and International Relations Section. The meeting was joined by approximately 170 attendees, the morning session of INHPF 2022 was presented with ThaiHealth CEO Dr Supreda Adulyanon’s on ‘ThaiHealth’s Key Policy Movements and Linkage Towards Global Agenda’. ThaiHealth participants were also found in knowledge exchange discussions on various issues with international health promotion organisation counterparts from e.g. Australia, Taiwan, South Korea, and others, including representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the Southeast Asian Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) on multiple topics such as advocating multi-sectoral participation in driving health promotion in various areas, the importance and directions of health promotion in the 21st century, health promotion work according to the guidelines set by the Geneva Charter for Well-Being, etc. The INHPF’s afternoon sessions or INHPF CEO Meeting was participated by 14 health promotion chief executives from member countries over an online Zoom session. The meeting gave the participants an opportunity to exchange ideas about health...

You are invited to join the 19th INHPF Annual Meeting (INHPF) 2022 The International Network of Health Promotion Foundations (INHPF) was established in 1999 to advance the work of health promotion foundations around the world. The main theme of INHPF 2022 is Health Promotion Policy for Global Action. For the event, INHPF members from Australia, Korea, Thailand, Tonga, Singapore, and Taiwan are invited to share their practical experience in developing their country’s health intervention program. Members will also present a successful intervention example, detailing its concept initiation, program design, implementation, and evaluation. rn If you are interested in attending INHPF 2022, please submit your registration at: https://www.inhpf2022.org/registration rn Registration is open until August 12, 2022. rn For more info, please visit: https://www.inhpf2022.org/ rn rn

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and its strategic partners voiced support for the low-cost residential project proposed by Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), and Department of Social Development and Welfare (DSDW), to sustain the livelihood of the vulnerable demographic by helping them with the rights to settle down and to have employment for the sake of better physical and mental health.   Jun 8, 2022 — ThaiHealth, with collaboration of BMA, Chulalongkorn University, DSDW, and strategic partners, organised an event at Homeless Assistance Centre in Hua Lamphong area. The event aimed at mobilising forces of relevant agencies in giving support to the homeless people that are left out in the open, and the support to vulnerable demographic who are at risk of losing homes, by pushing the effort to revive the Baan Imjai and Half-Half Residential Projects, also to reduce the health risks of homeless people in public spaces. Deputy Governor of Bangkok, Mr Sanon Wangsangboon, said that the City of Bangkok's goal of the study tour is to survey the lives of homeless people living in public areas around the Hua Lamphong railway station, while giving back all homeless people their lost rights in the society after being affected by the economic downturn and the Covid-19 situation. The BMA does not want to call this group of people...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the establishment of Community Health Promotion Centre of Phiman Sub-district Administration Organisation and 12 other local governments in Nakhon Phanom under effort to upgrade the services of local administrative offices, prepare themselves to be aware of, to adapt, and to support the newly established network of community health promotion officials, in order to strengthen the health service system, which is believed to also strengthen the local economies and social assistance network. The signing of an MOU took place on June 6, 2022 at Sufficiency Economy Learning Centre of Tambon Phiman, Na Kae district of Nakhon Phanom. The ceremony was co-organised by representatives from Phiman SAO in their capacity of “Community Health Network Centre”, a coalition of 12 local administrative offices of Nakhon Phanom, and ThaiHealth. The project under the signed MOU promises the development of local communities, autonomy in administering and managing risks in preparation of adaptation of several health issues. Among the key participants in the signing ceremony were Dr Chanthana Ungchusak from ThaiHealth’s Northeastern Thailand Community Health Direction Committee; and President of Livable Community Building Network, Mr Somporn Chaibangyang. ThaiHealth Vice CEO and Acting Director of the Healthy Community Strengthening Section, Dr Prakasit Kayasith, said that the visit and the MOU signing ceremony aims at...

World Health Organisation (WHO) and Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) have jointly praised Dr Prakit Vathesatogkit as a role model who has dedicated himself to push forward successful tobacco control measures in Thailand, inspiring international organisations to join the fight against tobacco, while Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health commended his 36 years of tireless commitment and congratulated him on receiving the world-class award. This year, the Dr Lee Jong-wook award was conferred on Dr Prakit through the Thai Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation at the 75th World Health Assembly on May 27.   Deputy Public Health Minister Dr Satit Pitutecha, in his capacity as the First Vice Chairman of the Health Promotion Fund, said that the 5th meeting of the Thai Health Promotion Fund committee took the opportunity to congratulate Prof Dr Prakit Vatesatogkit, President of the Action on Smoking and Health Thailand (ASH Thailand) on the awarding of Dr Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize from WHO for his dedication to tobacco control movement in Thailand. Recognised in Thailand and internationally, his work of 36 years to help Thai people to have “smokeless lungs” is a token of pride that led to the development of effective measures and laws to control tobacco in Thailand, while at the same time playing an important role in supporting tobacco control movements abroad. WHO...

ThaiHealth – May 19, 2022 — Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) welcomed a study visit group from the, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. The delegation included faculty members and students in various fields of health such as medicine, nursing, public health, and pharmacy. The delegation has been introduced to an overview of ThaiHealth and its operations. They were also engaged in information exchange with ThaiHealth on health promotion for both Thailand and the United States, as well as a tour of Thai Health Learning Centre building to have an exposure to health-related experiences in various dimensions, including physical, intellectual, mental, and social aspects, as well as other services such as the Information Centre, Demonstration Vegetable Plantations, Health Check-Up Facility, and SOOK Canteen, for the general public to take part and to help them realise the importance of good health. The study visit is one of ThaiHealth's strategies aimed at building good relationships between ThaiHealth and foreign organisations. It is useful in disseminating the work on health promotion of Thailand and promoting ThaiHealth as one of the most important International Learning Hub for Health Promotion. rn

The World Health Organisation (WHO)’s World No-Tobacco Day campaign urges the world community to help protect both health and environment from the danger of cigarettes that generate 350 billion baht of damage annually, or the equivalent to 2.1% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The campaign also indicated that smokers around the world dump 4.5 trillion cigarette butts per year. Of which, 2.5 billion pieces of which are thrown away in Thailand alone, taking 10 years to decompose. At the same time, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources says it will now punish cigarette butt litterers under its latest no-cigarette-butt beach campaign.   Action on Smoking and Health Foundation (ASH Thailand) and Ministry of Public Health jointly organised a press conference and a seminar among its strategic partners on the occasion of the World No-Tobacco Day 2022 in both online and offline formats at Asawin Grand Convention Hotel, Bangkok, while setting this year’s No-Tobacco Day slogan “Tobacco Destroys Environment”, with an objective to raise awareness of the environmental impact caused by tobacco products. WHO specialist for non-communicable diseases, Dr Olivia Nieveras, said that cigarettes are proven to be harmful to the environment and to the economy in the entire supply chain — from plantation, production, distribution, to consumption and waste. The estimated value of health and economic damages...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), in collaboration with International Medical Student Union of Thailand (IFMSA-Thailand), is developing a booster project to give medical students full access to community work, which involves proactive tasks, behavioural analysis, and holistic medical work to strengthen the foundation of sustainable health.   Director of ThaiHealth’s Health System Development Section, Dr Phongthep Wongwatcharaphaiboon, spoke in the webinar titled “2nd Online Workshop by IFMSA Bootcamp 2022” that ThaiHealth and IFMSA are jointly conducting a project to incubate and develop the potential of medical students from 23 medical schools across the country. The “Bootcamp” is one of the tools to develop the potential of medical students who will play an important role in the health system of the future. Under the project, medical students will be seen proactively promoting good health in communities nationwide so that people can have easy access to health promotion that is in line with the needs and the context of the area. “Today, doctors must have a good understanding about the holistic approach to healthcare. Having good health does not only mean there is no physical abnormality, it also means good emotional and mental conditions. When the mind is sick, so is the body. When a person feels agitated, he or she tends to lose appetite, which leads to gastritis. Therefore, doctors must...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has welcomed the World Health Organisation (WHO) international expert panel led by Dr Samira Asma, WHO Assistant Director-General, in the preparation for public health emergencies and universal health. Dr Supreda Adulyanon, ThaiHealth CEO, welcomed Dr Samira Asma (three from left), WHO Assistant Director-General; and WHO international expert panel, for a discussion on Universal Health and Preparedness Review (UHPR), at ThaiHealth Office in Bangkok on April 29, 2022. The WHO visit to ThaiHealth was also joined by WHO international expert panel comprising of Director of Country Strategy Support, Dr Shambhu Prasad Acharya (far left); and WHO Regional Advisor of Human Resources for Health division from WHO Southeast Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO), Mr Ibadat Dhillon (fourth from left). The panel discussed and exchanged information on ThaiHealth’s roles and work during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. rn

The Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has joined hands with the Ministry of Labour and LINEMAN in the setting up of a delivery rider health promotion network in an effort to incubate community leaders for a healthy environment among the freelancers and to develop healthcare guidelines to achieve equilibrium in health.   ThaiHealth’s Director of Health Promotion for Vulnerable Populations, Mrs. Porranee Poobrasert, said that following a career style that has changed greatly and the importance of health promotion, ThaiHealth is planning to improve the life quality of informal workers by working alongside the Ministry of Labour to assess the career situation of informal workers. The coalition has appointed Dr Thani Chaiwat from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Economics to assess the situation and draft up a “Fair Work” policy proposal in order to protect Thailand’s informal workers in 3 areas: 1) Policy proposals for fair work and agreement, the enforcement of fair contracts or agreements, the establishment and a release of Fair Work Standards to promote operational and financial literacy of informal workers. 2) Policy proposals of Fair Reward for platform worker welfare fund, establishing a minimum hourly wage standard, measures to protect platform workers or other types of informal workers, especially workers who are in similar occupations in the future. 3) Policy proposals for fair competition including the promotion...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and StopDrink Network (SDN) have kicked off a campaign for the promotion of “Non-Alcohol Happiness Culture”, firstly by piloting its campaign in Si Sa Ket, establishing a model area for non-alcoholic cultural events which is believed to help Thai people save more than 140 million baht by cutting down alcoholic drinks in cultural ceremonies, while hoping to attract communities across the country to adopt the well-being society principles.     On a visit to Tambon Siao, Phi So Suwan district of Si Sa Ket, ThaiHealth, together with SDN followed up with the plan to empower the local people in their quest to reduce and quit drinking alcoholic beverages through non-alcoholic merit-making ceremonies. The project aimed to use the community power to alleviate alcohol-induced problems in the area in the hope of bringing the success story to implement the very campaign nationwide.   ThaiHealth Vice Chairman of the first Executive Committee, Mr Srisuwan Khuankhajorn, said that alcoholic is an important factor that cause many losses in life — domestic violence, sexual harrassment, and brawls. ThaiHealth and SDN are working hard to change the values in the society through building cooperation with local administrations,  provincial governments, and the policy sectors. Under the alcohol and narcotics control plan, ThaiHealth plans to implement the project in accordance with 5...

Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has praised Thailand’s next generation for their creativity in their inventions aimed at minimising health risk factors as Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) announced the results of the Prime Minister’s Award for Health Promotion Innovation 2021, with the top innovation awards going to a depression screening application for adolescents from International School Bangkok, and a helmet disinfecting machine from Navaminthrachuthit Vocational College Bangkok.   Jan 31, 2022 — Deputy Prime Minister Anutin, together with ThaiHealth foundation president, delivered a celebratory speech at the award ceremony of the Prime Minister’s Award for Health Promotion Innovation 2021 co-organised online by ThaiHealth, Why I Why Foundation, and strategic network, praising the innovations created by every participating teams of student who creatively invented health promoting innovations that can be used to address several health-related problems in different areas of the country. He also praised ThaiHealth for its young generation incubating programme, saying that these innovations will serve as a good foundation — starting from within individuals, communities, and larger societies — for health promotion works in the national level.     ThaiHealth expert committee member, Dr Soranit Siltharm, said that although out of 362 participating teams, the 20 award-winning teams have overcome lengths of obstacles caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He also added that all participants have successfully learnt...

ThaiHealth and the Department of Pollution Control are pushing the draft of the Clean Air Act on the legislative level in an effort to effectively address the country’s air pollution problem, notably the PM 2.5 dust particles.   Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), in collaboration with the Department of Pollution Control, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, has organised an online panel discussion on ‘Clean Air Act’. The panel discussion was joined by representatives of government, academic, educational, politic, and private sectors, with notable personae such as MP Supachai Jaisamut from Bhumjaithai party, MP Pada Vorakanon from Palang Pracharath party, MP Chakraphol Tangsutthitham from Pheu Thai party, MP Nitipon Piwmow from Move Forward party, and MP Pimrapee Phanwichatikul from Democrat party. ThaiHealth CEO Dr Supreda Adulyanon said that the air pollution caused by dispersal of PM 2.5 dust particles has been considered a worrisome issue in Thailand for more than a decade. According to air quality monitoring data collected by the Centre for Air Pollution Mitigation (CAPM), all regions of Thailand are affected by the widespread PM 2.5 dust particles. On top of the crisis, the country’s northern region is affected by 166 micrograms per cubic metre of such dust, 11 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s level of 15 micrograms per cubic metre. In the past, ThaiHealth has...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has revealed that according to a study, that many Thai people are still at risk of dying from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), notably cancer, and the reduction rate will not be met by the previously-set Sustainable Development Goals within 2030, while campaigning to eradicate 5 risk factors of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, lack of physical activities, nutrition, and air pollution, to prevent further premature deaths caused by NCDs.   In the collaboration between Burden of Disease Program Thailand (BOD) and the International Health Policy Program (IHPP), Ministry of Public Health, and World Health Organisation’s Country Cooperation Strategy on NCDs (WHO-CCS NCDs), Division of Non-Communicable Diseases, Department of Disease Control, and ThaiHealth, BOD Programme Manager Dr Kanitta Bundhamcharoen said the working group had conducted a study on premature deaths of Thai people in their 30-69 years of age caused by NCDs in 4 groups: coronary disease, cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases between year 2000 and 2018, and a forecast of death rate in 2025 to 2030, under an effort to reduce the rate to one-third within 2030 according to the Sustainable Development Goals. The study has indicated that the premature death rate is in a slight downtrend — with men having greater risks than women.     Dr Kanitta voiced concerns that the rate of premature death...

  Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has celebrated its 20 years of promoting health and building happiness for the whole nation by organising a public event themed “20 Years of Innovation for Sustainable Happiness”, showcasing its past work of building better Thailand, better health, and leaving no one behind, while vowing to advance to its third decade filled with healthy innovations, environment, and sustainably healthy society.     Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha presided over the opening ceremony of “20 Years of Innovation for Sustainable Happiness” celebration on the auspicious occasion of the 20th anniversary of ThaiHealth on November 10, 2021 at Centara Grand at CentralWorld. The three-day event was organised to weave a tighter fabric of strategic alliance network in order to build advanced innovations to help promote healthy lifestyles, behaviour improvement, and environment, all to attain sustainable health promotion work in the next decade. The celebration was organised in both online conference and on-site meeting in compliance with the government’s ‘new normal’ lifestyle to curb the spread of Covid-19.       The Healthy Meeting, as named by the organiser, was a presentation of ThaiHealth’s master plan for the next 10 years and a manifest of health promotion declaration. The event was participated by around 2,000 experts and representatives from strategic partners, and the network of government...

On the occasion of the International Day of Emphysema, Thailand Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and the Association of Thai NCD Alliance are encouraging Thai people to check their integrity of lungs while pointing out the shocking fact that 70,000 smokers die each year from cigarette-related diseases and almost 400,000 from NCDs, while adding that electronic cigarettes have no use of helping smokers quit but pose more risks of addiction to youngsters and women. The recent public seminar themed “Facts and Impacts of Cigarette Products Towards Health and Society” jointly organised by ThaiHealth and NCD Alliance took place on November 17, 2021, at Arnoma Grand Bangkok Hotel on the occasion of the International Day of Emphysema with the international slogan of “Healthy Lungs: Never more important”.     President of Association of Thai NCD Alliance, Prof Emeritus Wannee Nitiyanant, said that all tobacco products are bad for health and causes Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) which is now a worldwide threat damaging both people’s health, the societies, and nation’s economy. While studies conducted by the World Health Organisation in 2018 indicated that a total of 398,860 or 74% of all Thai people’s death is caused by NCDs. This information echoes Thailand’s information from the Department of Disease Control conducted at the height of the coronavirus epidemic from January 2020 to September 2021, indicating...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has shared a success stories of cancer prevention effort at APEC Life Sciences Innovation Forum, praising the innovations to effectively prevent “Cancer” in Thailand, thanks to the three-prong strategy of upstream measures, societal measures, and environmental measures to minimise the risk of cancer. Participating in the APEC Life Sciences Innovation Forum (LSIF) organised by Taiwanese Ministry of Health and Welfare, ThaiHealth CEO, Dr Supreda Adulyanon, spoke in the topic of “Sustaining and Improving Cancer Prevention Efforts”. The online eight-nation forum is the celebrated common ground for Asia-Pacific member countries to share their ideas on cancer prevention efforts, relevant policies, and effective innovations that should be deployed to control risk factors of this fatal disease.   Citing World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics where cancer was the second biggest cause of death in 2018 with 9.6 million deaths, and one of the top three causes of death of humans of both genders in Asia-Pacific region. Dr Supreda elaborated Thailand’s work at the very upstream to prevent cancers that prevention is much more effective than cure. Thailand has classified prevention efforts into two levels. Prevention efforts on the personal level include screening and educating, while the prevention efforts on the larger level include development of health-related behaviours, lifestyles, and environmental components so as to rid the society of...

The coronavirus is striking hard, putting hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities out of their jobs, prompting Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and Social Innovation Foundation (SIF) to come up with a model project at rural villages of Ban Yang Chum-Wang Sila in northeastern province of Surin where the twin villages team up with employers’ alliance, attracting funds to encourage a wide range of employment in agriculture – vegetable farming, livestock, with good logistics of crop yield from villages to markets. This model project has proven a success, rebuilding the two villages in the path of sustainability.   ThaiHealth’s Director of Health Promotion for Vulnerable Populations, Mrs. Porranee Poobrasert, said that the ongoing spread of coronavirus is affecting blue-collar workers in a particularly large number. A lot of labourers are facing unemployment as affected local entrepreneurs are forced to scale down their production line by cutting down working hours, or worse, laying off parts of the workforce, affecting the financial wellbeing of these individuals – particularly those in the group of people with disabilities. According to Thailand’s general statistics on people with disabilities collected this year by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, the number of unemployed people with disabilities accounted to 72,466 out of the total of 857,253.         ThaiHealth and SIF have...

The Thai Breastfeeding Centre Foundation and Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) have jointly launched a promotion of breast milk as human vaccine and survival amidst CoVid-19 crisis as microorganisms in breast milk help human body enhance its immune system.   President of Thai Breastfeeding Centre Foundation, Dr Siriporn Kanchana, said that the Thai Breastfeeding Centre Foundation, with the support from ThaiHealth, realised the importance and benefits of breast milk in baby feeding, which is the only way to prepare babies for future health challenges amidst CoVid-19 crisis in terms of immunisation. Breast milk is empirically proven to contain not only immunising white blood cells that entrap and destroy pathogens, but also substances that work against several kinds of infection. Most importantly, breast milk also has human milk microbiomes, which is a kind of microorganism that enhance the immune system in babies.   “On the occasion of the World Breastfeeding Week and the Mother’s Day in Thailand, we would like to encourage every family to perceive the importance of breastfeeding and appropriate feed for babies aged 0 to 3 years to prepare them for future health challenges especially in terms of immunisation as proper feeding produces healthy children with less chance of illnesses. Even better if the mothers had been cured from CoVid-19 or properly vaccinated, they would certainly hold the...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has published a success story of enhancing lifestyles of employees in more than 2,000 workplaces across the nation, improving the lives of more than 300,000-strong workforce by cutting down on drinking and smoking to improve productibility, reducing sick days during the CoVid-19 crisis.   August 9, 2021 – Manager of Expansion Support of Health Promotion in Workplaces Project, Dr Sansanee Keeratiwiriyaporn, in her capacity of President of Association for the Development of Environmental Quality (Thailand), spoke at the Exposition for Online Health Promotion in Workplaces that the project – jointly organised by Association for the Development of Environmental Quality (Thailand) and Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) since 2008 – aims at mobilising forces for the promotion of healthy lifestyles and to encourage Thai work force nationwide to quit or cut down on risk factors such as smoking, drinking, and gambling.   To mark its fourth phase of the project, Dr Sansanee said that the project was at the time participated by more than 2,058 entrepreneurs. 321 of which have proven themselves as role model for entrepreneurs without health risks by working on 4 pillars of best practices: 1) Systematic framework, 2) Interpersonal participation among employees, entrepreneurs, and local health organisations, 3) Comprehensive operations, and 4) Continuous monitoring and follow-ups.   “The project has successfully encouraged...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), by Assistant CEO and Acting Director of Healthy Lifestyle Promotion Section, Dr Pairoj Saonuam, has announced a plan to push cultivation of fruits and vegetables in big cities onto the national agenda on July 15th, under nickname “Thailand Ready” project.   Apart from the academically prepared information and research papers to be proposed by ThaiHealth, the Ministry of Agriculture, through Bureau of Foreign Agricultural Affairs, will go ahead with the project which is also in compliance with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations’ designation of the year 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. Thailand has also planned to submit its research proceedings and its readiness report for the hosting of the upcoming UN Food System Summit to discuss the stressing issue of food security problem that is currently shaken by the CoVid-19 pandemic.   About the announcement of “Thailand Ready” vegetable promotion, ThaiHealth will be spearheading the compilation of policy-wise suggestions in an effort to push the fruit and vegetable plantation promotion onto the 13th National Economic and Social Development Masterplan to promote on the national level the suggested consumption of vegetables at the rate of 400 grammes per day, which the actual rate is still far behind at only 37%. In addition, Dr Phairoj also said that more...

The World Health Organisation (WHO), the Ministry of Public Health, and the International Health Policy Programme (IHPP) jointly bestowed the WHO award of appreciation to Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) for its continuous work in promoting good health in Thailand.   Public Health Deputy Minister Satit Pitutecha in his capacity of the first Committee Vice Chairperson of the Thai Health Promotion Fund, has been presented with a plague of appreciation by the World Health Organisation’s Thailand representative Dr Dániel Kertész, at ThaiHealth headquarters. The plague of appreciation was presented in the name of 3 agencies, namely the World Health Organisation Thailand Office, Ministry of Public Health’s Global Health Division, and the International Health Policy Programme (IHPP) to celebrate the occasion of ThaiHealth recently receiving the Nelson Mandela Award. Dr Satit, as a representative appointed to officially receive the award, said that he was honoured and would like to congratulate ThaiHealth as one of the world’s few organisations to have given this world-class award. He also expressed gratitude towards all relevant parties in and around ThaiHealth for their tireless work in developing and promoting public health in the past, in the present, and in the future.   Speaking about the Nelson Mandela award, Dr Kertész explained that the award is given to organisations that play crucial roles in the promotion of...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation has released a stress-free manual for students stuck at home during coronavirus school lockdowns, advising parents to create “Playing Corner” alongside “Learning Corner” at home, while also proposing extracurricular “Independent Playtime” with emphasis on stress-free, positive conversations to avoid creating stress for young learners during online class times.   ThaiHealth’s Director of Healthy Child, Youth, and Family Promotion Section, Ms Nattaya Boonpakdee, said that the stress created by the ongoing pandemic in Thailand has changed the way children live and study. The different school culture has taken its toll on youngsters and adolescents as they are stuck at home as to avoid being infected with coronavirus. Common problems are 1) Anxiety in socialising with friends and teachers, 2) Stress of getting stuck in front of a computer screen, 3) Fear of contracting coronavirus if they must go to school. Ms Nattaya indicated that younger students are the most sensitive group as children of this age range are unable to conduct oneself in the online class environment and should not be confined at the online learning station for a long period of time. The easiest workaround to prevent stress in younger learners is that teachers may design an alternative classwork by letting students greet and mingle online with their friends for a break. Then, teachers may let...

It is our pleasure to invite you to the online workshop program co-organized by Thai UHC Alliance Partners in order to share the experiences of Thai Universal Health Coverage under the topic “UHC JOURNEY: How Thailand Achieved Good Health at Low Cost? (Thai UHC Journey)”. This workshop aims at building capacity of the countries with high political commitment to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and to share Thailand’s experience to the real implementations based on their context.     Co-Organizers: Thai UHC Alliance Partners • Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Thailand • National Health Security Office (NHSO), Thailand • Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) • National Health Commission Office (NHCO), Thailand • International Health Policy Program (IHPP) in cooperation with WHO Country Cooperation Strategy on Global Health Development (WHO: CCS GHD) and Thailand Japan Partnership Project for Global Health and Universal Health Coverage (GLO UHC)   Interested candidates, please submit the application :   Click Here   Application is opened until 31 July 2021.   For more info, please visit Here   Sincerely, Thai UHC Alliance Partners rn

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has announced its plan to incubate “Young Innovators” in the hope to let the new generation help solve this country’s health problems, while calling out for innovative ideas in the upcoming Prime Minister’s Award for Health Promotion Innovation 2021.   ThaiHealth’s Director of Academic and Innovation Section, Dr Nuttapun Supaka, said that ThaiHealth’s mission in the dimension of health focuses on synergy between all relevant agencies, creating health-related innovations that encourage behavioural development, and pushing for changes in environmental factors that contribute to Thai people’s sustainable health in four dimensions – body, mind, wisdom, society. With confidence in the power of the people, the potential of the new generation, and the academic network as an important force in the health promotion work, ThaiHealth, with collaboration from YIY (Why I Why) Foundation, is organising the health promotion innovation contest.   Upgraded this year as the bigger contest with an honorary award from the Prime Minister, the upcoming contest is considered a national-level award to promote health and honour the youth, teacher, and academic community, and to encourage them to create and develop more health-related innovators for the sustainable betterment of Thailand’s societies. In addition, the awarded innovations are believed to be further developed and can really be used in the society.     Dr Nuttapun explained...

Dr Supreda Adulyanon, CEO of ThaiHealth, in front of an information board about ThaiHealth receiving the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion 2021. Location: ThaiHealth Center, Bangkok, Thailand / Picture Credit: Thai HealthPromotion Foundation.   This week at the World Health Assembly, WHO’s annual high-level decision-making event, innovative and successful health initiatives from around the world were recognized for their outstanding contributions to public health.   The 2021 Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion (awarded by the South Africa Mandela Foundation) was presented to the  Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) for its achievements in improving the health of every Thai citizen.   ThaiHealth, dedicated to the promotion of healthy lifestyles among people from all age groups, joins a distinguished line of recipients from well-known scientists and researchers to dedicated individuals and organizations who have contributed to advancing public health over the years.   Dr Supreda Adulyanon, CEO of the ThaiHealth, thinks of the award as a culmination of the foundation’s work on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, which it will celebrate this year. “It is truly something special to acknowledge our two decades of work,” said Dr Adulyanon.   He also feels a deep connection to the award’s namesake. “Nelson Mandela has been my hero since I was young.”   ThaiHealth has a broad mandate but its main focuses are...

The Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and its strategic partners are pushing to submit eight propositions to give assistance to women, children, and people with disabilities to escape domestic violence as the coronavirus pandemic put women in a pool of domestic violence at homes, falling victims to family members and being coerced to compromise or conclude settlements off-court.   Apr 20, 2021 – ThaiHealth’s Director of Health Promotion for Vulnerable Populations, Mrs. Porranee Poobrasert said that the recent survey on domestic violence conducted by Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, in 40 districts of 9 provinces – Bangkok, Ratchaburi, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Surat Thani, and Songkhla – hit a new high of 42.2%, a steep increase from 34.6% in 2017. The survey reflects that the coronavirus pandemic is one of the main causes of the increasing rate of domestic violence.     The survey also correlates with World Health Organisation’s (WHO) report conducted in 2020 during the peak of coronavirus. The WHO report indicated that domestic violence is rooted from the following factors: 1) More people have no choice but living with violent family members, 2) The level of stress is accumulated over time living under violence-induced environments, 3) The social distancing imposed enlarge the space between family members and close acquaintances, and 4)...

The recent discussion of Thailand’s health, alcohol, and road safety coalition has proposed a penalty upgrade for repeat drunk-driving offenders to immediate prison term while urging sellers of alcoholic beverage to conduct their businesses responsibly in order to create new ethics and social standards.   The discussion of “Road Accidents, Drunk-Driving Repeat Offenders, and Responsible Sellers” was jointly held by Life Quality Development Network, Road Safety Thailand and Road Safety Policy Foundation, StopDrink Network, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), and strategic partners, on March 15, 2021, at Mandarin Hotel Bangkok at Samyan.     Director of ThaiHealth’s Social and Health Risk Control Section, Ms Rungarun Limlahaphan, said that ThaiHealth has continuously been in support of its strategic partners in monitoring the situation of road safety and in creating new organisational and social standards for road safety since 2003. According to data of Department of Probation, Ministry of Justice, the number of probation cases in April 2020 – during the first peak of coronavirus scare – was steeply dropped to only 550 cases compared to as many as 17,584 in the same month of the previous year.     The significant drop of 96.8% in just one year was caused by lockdowns, alcohol prohibition, and closure of pubs and bars, which directly affect the number of drunk drivers, reflecting the government’s...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has announced the winners of the 3rd ThaiHealth Inno Awards, celebrating Thailand’s advancement in innovative inventions, with some of the award-winning inventions this year being “FIFO Light – the innovative light system that helps prevent accidents in narrow and meandering streets” from Songkhla Business Administration College; and an innovative system to help boost physical activities from Chonkanyanukoon School. These inventions are believed to pave the way to the new generation of innovators with a goal of reducing health-related risk factors and promote good health among Thai people.     ThaiHealth, YIY Foundation, and strategic partners, jointly organised an awarding ceremony of the 3rd ThaiHealth Inno Awards on March 4, 2021, at Meeting Room 201 of ThaiHealth’s Health Knowledge Centre Building. This year, the recent competition of ThaiHealth Inno Awards have been participated by 319 inventions, with only 20 passing through the final round. The award-winning teams of new-generation innovators are given spaces at an innovators’ incubating workshop in a hope to further develop new innovations.     ThaiHealth committee, Assoc Prof Soranit Siltharm, said that the award-winning 20 pieces of innovative inventions by the hands of young innovators are originated from creativity and the need to solve health-related problems in communities. Themed “Good Life Begins In Ourselves”, the 3rd ThaiHealth Inno Awards aims at promoting...

Association of Thai NCD Alliance and Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) have announced that the NCDs or non-communicable diseases had been found to be deadlier than CoVid-19, claiming more than a thousand lives in Thailand daily, while planning to push the NCD prevention policy and tighter control on consumption of sweet, greasy, and salty food as the national agenda, by developing the new patient service system and the promotion of physical activities towards healthy lifestyles.   ThaiHealth, with collaboration of Association of Thai NCD Alliance and strategic alliance, jointly organised a press conference to announce their firm standpoint of the plan to propose the NCD prevention policy that is claiming a large number of Thai people’s lives as the national agenda, while holding a ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding signing among professional organisations, government agencies, and the civil societies working to eradicate NCDs, with a mutual goal of securing a place for the NCD policy in the national agenda. The press conference was held on February 24, 2021 at Novotel Bangkok Platinum Hotel, Bangkok.   President of Thai NCD Alliance, Prof Emeritus Dr Wannee Nitiyanant, said that non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic lung diseases, are the silent threat that is exponentially deadlier than CoVid-19 as public health reports indicate that the NCDs are claiming more...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has proudly revealed that the plan to establish “ThaiHealth Academy” and “SOOK Enterprise” was under way to promote Thai people’s health and to fight against PM 2.5 and NCD crises, while boasting its success stories as a health promotion organisation in the international stage and preparing to be awarded the “Nelson Mandela Award” this coming May at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland.   ThaiHealth CEO, Dr Supreda Adulyanon, said on February 15 that the period of 2019-2020 is the time of changes due to coronavirus. ThaiHealth had to swiftly adjust its framework to promote the New Normal way of healthy lifestyles along with its strategic partners in government and private sectors, by proactively redesign and redevelop both the telemedicine system to help investigate the outbreak, the epidemiological surveillance, disease prevention, detection, and treatment of people contracted with CoVid-19 in both community- and city-levels,   “Under power as the medium between the two sectors, we have supported the establishment of the national-level means of communication namely “Thai Roo Soo CoVid”. We also give precedence to the effort of reducing risk factors and increasing health factors. After the proactive work, the alcohol consumption rate reduced from 32.7% in 2004 to 28.4% in 2017; the tobacco consumption rate reduced from 32% in 1991 to 19.1%...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) CEO has announced that ThaiHealth had been given the internationally acclaimed “Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion” for its alliance network’s hard work in health promotion, saying that the award is for everybody’s sacrifice for the Thai society.     ThaiHealth CEO, Dr Supreda Adulyanon, said that the 148th World Health Organisation (WHO) summit on January 26, 2021, had unanimously chosen and announced a presentation of “Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion 2021” to ThaiHealth for its work on health promotion with outstanding results. He also added that this award is the token of appreciation and a symbol of success of Thailand’s national-level health promotion network whose difficult tasks mean devotion and sacrifice. The award also means an honour of Thailand, thanks to Ministry of Public Health’s nomination of ThaiHealth before the WHO summit.     “On behalf of ThaiHealth, I would like to say these names in honour of their work: founders, committee members, executives, experts, and specialists, who have been with us all the way from the very beginning; and most importantly, each and every one in our strategic network for their collaboration with ThaiHealth in both short- and long-term projects. This prestigious award is for everyone as ThaiHealth is always meant to be an organisation with a mechanism that opens for public...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and Thailand’s foreign workers network have jointly developed an incubation programme for migrant worker health volunteers in an effort to proactively promote health-related awareness among foreign workers’ communities across Thailand with the hope to reduce long-term risk factors.     Director of Health Promotion for Vulnerable Populations, Mrs. Porranee Poobrasert, said the Migrant Worker Health Volunteer incubation programme aimed at creating public health representatives in Thailand’s scattered foreign workers’ communities to proactively and effectively reduce the intensity of public health-related misunderstandings during the new wave of CoVid-19 epidemic, so that everyone – citizen and non-citizen – has the equal health services from the government.   According to migrant worker census conducted in October 2020, the total number of migrant workers in Thailand accounted to approximately 3 million, while only 2.5 million migrant workers are officially registered; and the other half a million remained undocumented. Within this number, around 4,000 migrant workers volunteered to be health volunteers to help the government educate their fellow migrant workers about CoVid-19 and health in general, including facilitating the CoVid-19 screen tests.   Last year, ThaiHealth and Mahidol University reportedly conducted a study on the level of health-related awareness. The study found that migrant workers had much lower level of health-related issues than the Thai nationals. As many as 77%...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) moved to promote road safety in communities in an effort to reduce road accidents in communities by one case at a time, so as to free Thailand from the top ranking with the most road fatalities.   Senior Citizen and Prof Emeritus Prawase Wasi spoke in the 2nd National Congress of MohAnamai 2021 themed “Modern MohAnamai Network for Safer and Stronger Primary Health Care System” that public health officers are those who are the closest to the people. A total of approximately 40,000 public health officers deployed nationwide take the role of front-liner to control and contain emerging diseases in the country. Thanks to these public health officers and their restless proactive work, Thailand has had a great success in dealing with the novel coronavirus.   However, MohAnamai is not just a service about disease prevention and control, medical treatment, and health recovery, but it is with more than enough potential to lead the way towards problem-based health promotion in each locale – especially in the matter of road accident prevention that claims more than 20,000 lives annually. The work of MohAnamai includes finding the real cause of each accident, leading to effective problem-solving and trouble-shooring measures in local sub-district level.   Director of ThaiHealth’s Social and Health Risk Control Section, Ms Rungarun Limlahaphan, said...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has joined hands with National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) to publicise a new finding on the occasion of Children’s Day 2021 indicating that the Thai youth spend as much as 89% of their time online and only 11% of their time being with parents, while revealing that during the re-emergence of coronavirus, Thai youth have reportedly wanted to express their love to their parents, to go out with them, vowing they will be good kids, and urging parents to listen more.   Assistant to ThaiHealth CEO and Acting Director of Media System and Spiritual Health Promotion Section, Dr Phiroj Saonuam, said that NIDA’s Graduate School of Communication Arts and Management Innovation had conducted a survey on the employment of social media to forge tighter familial relationship, and on the message conveyed by the Thai youth through the social network, in an effort to attract youngsters to make safe and creative use of learning grounds on cyberspace.   This move is in line with ThaiHealth’s master plan in encouraging Thai people to employ social media cleverly as a pathway leading to healthy lifestyle. The work included a development of healthy media ecology, healthy media users and creators with health literacy, as a start. Then, these people had been planned in becoming health communicators with 4...

THAIHEALTH’s 19 YEARS IN THE PATH OF HEALTH PROMOTION AND THE “NEW LIFESTYLE” MOVEMENT UNDER COVID-19 On the prime of coronavirus, the world’s economy, medical works, and ordinary lifestyles have changed forever in every organisation, every agency, and every living person on earth; and Thai Health Promotion Foundation – the nation’s principal agency for healthy lifestyle promotion – is not an exception.   Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has ignited Thailand’s movement to promote healthy lifestyle in employing cooperation from all relevant organisations to create knowledge, policy, healthy society, and new environment to accommodate the sustainable way of health promotion as well as swift adjustments in case an unprecedented situation emerges.   ThaiHealth’s Exclusive Interview took the occasion of 19th anniversary of Thai Health Promotion Foundation to have a talk with ThaiHealth CEO, Dr Supreda Adulyanon, in his role as the leader of the nation’s prominent health promotion organisation. He viewed that the organisation’s path in the nineteenth year as a grand opportunity under the shadow of crisis that drives all its past endeavours to work in clearer picture – as the changes are ThaiHealth’s cup of tea!   A SHINING OPPORTUNITY IN THE SHADOW OF CRISIS   Dr Supreda :  Year 2020 is a very special year. Its caprice and fast-changing situations might be peculiar, but they are not uncommon...

As Thailand still faces the COVID-19 crisis, ThaiHealth experts recently reconvened to discuss lessons learned from the novel coronavirus and in a bid to better communicate with the public on the outbreak risk and prevention. ThaiHealth summarised the lessons learned the from COVID-19 into the following four chapters: Chapter 1: The impact of COVID-19 on health promotion and various social dimensions rn Chapter 2: ThaiHealth resilience to COVID-19 This chapter provides further details about data collection and SWOT analysis on health crisis management in Thailand during different phases of the outbreak.   Chapter 3: The role of ThaiHealth on implementing health promotion activities during the outbreak period.   ThaiHealth activities and policy on health promotion implementation can be explained more in depth based on the following three aspects   1. Promote and integrate work within the health policy system. The aim is to ensure that the COVID-19 outbreak prevention can be actively put into practice, leading to cooperation between the area-based panel on living quality development and the National Health Commission Office to drive the so-called “Anti COVID-19 Charter” at  the district and the village levels and to develop a model of active COVID-19 case finding  in the urban area. 2. Enable community and institute to take part in community surveillance and revitalization to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. This...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), Action on Smoking and Health Foundation Thailand (ASH-Thailand) and strategic network, have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on tobacco control measures in seven government agencies concerning local administration under an effort to protect communities from the danger of tobacco.   The MoU on tobacco control support measures in local administrative bodies has been drafted up by the coalition of seven government agencies, namely Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health; Department of Local Administration, Ministry of Interior; Thai Health Promotion Foundation; National Health Security Office; National Municipal League of Thailand; Sub-District Administration Organisation Association of Thailand; and Action on Smoking and Health Foundation Thailand; and was officially witnessed by more than 45 representatives from local governments across the nation.     President of ASH-Thailand, Prof Dr Prakit Vathesatogkit, gave an informative speech saying that, while it is easily preventable, tobacco addiction is one of this country’s top behaviours that deteriorates health, creating several chronic illnesses, and leads to premature death. Statistically, half of non-quitters are bound to suffer from tobacco-induced diseases and their age would be cut short by at least 10 years. At present, there are as many as 19.1% of the total population – 37.7% male population and 1.7% female population – while 89% of smokers are scattered all over Thailand...

Thailand’s measures set up to regulate and control advertisements of alcoholic beverages in the present-day digital age are still incomplete and inadequate, and feared the world’s free market system would harm the youth of the world, while opposing to planned loosening of alcohol-related laws to protect the nation’s living future from addictive products. November 26, 2020 – The Centre of Alcohol Studies, Prince of Songkhla University’s Faculty of Medicine, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), with support from ThaiHealth’s strategic partners namely Ministry of Public Health’s Alcohol Control Committee, and Stop Drink Network, have joined hands to organise the 11th National Alcoholic Beverage Conference at Mandarin Hotel, Bangkok. Dr Orratai Waleewong , Researcher  from International Health Policy Programme (IHPP), has spoken in the recent discussion themed “Marketing and Sales of Alcoholic Beverages in Capricious Era: Concerns for Thai Youths” saying that Thai youngsters community’s exposure to advertisements of alcoholic beverages and binge drinking are empirically correlated. Today, marketing techniques employed in alcohol advertisements are abundant and insufficiently regulated, creating new and emerging drinkers in this digital-age free market. Advertisements of alcoholic beverages are spreading to such breadth and width beyond political borders as international alcohol conglomerations have shifted their production bases to emerging markets in several Asian countries. If there is no decent law to regulate alcohol advertisements, the number...

BANGKOK (NNT) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised Thailand during the event at the World Health Assembly 2020, as the kingdom has consistently done well in coping with COVID-19.   WHO Director-General, Doctor Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, praised Thailand’s PM as he has led the team of Thai public health officials in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Director-General Doctor Tedros thanked Thailand during the closing ceremony of the 73rd World Health Assembly, as Thailand has supported the WHO’s efforts to control the disease, and has emerged as a great example of a country that has inspired good cooperation between the government and the public.   According to the statistics, Thailand was the first country reported to have a COVID-19 infection outside Wuhan. However, even with its population of over 70 million, Thailand has had fewer than four thousand cases, and fatalities number just 60. Thailand’s success is not just a coincidence but the result of serious efforts and effective policies.   The Thai PM General Prayut Chan-O-Cha, stressed that it is not only the government’s success but also the public’s as all members of the Thai community have given good cooperation throughout the pandemic.   Source :  NATIONAL NEWS BUREAU OF THAILAND rn

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has joined hands with its strategic partners in an effort to cut down accidents – especially those occurring to motorcyclists – and promote road safety throughout the year by rushing to make risk hotspots in every sub-district safer. Nov 13, 2020 – The Thai Parliament organised a meetup of representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Thai government, Road Safety Fund, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Office of Insurance Commission, National Institute for Emergency Medicine, Road Safety Network, and ThaiHealth. The seminar on road safety was organised to commemorate the Road Safety: World Day of Remembrance which falls on the third Sunday of November annually. President of the Thai National Assembly, Mr Chuan Leekpai, said that this year’s number of casualties caused by road accidents up to November 10 accounted to 840,000 cases and the fingers are pointing to “lacking of discipline”. The statistics are ranked among the world’s countries with the biggest number of road accidents, and it can be employed as the principal index in measuring Thailand’s quality of life, which he viewed it as not a big and worrisome subject because Thailand still has a lot of national agenda to boast.     Thailand has been successful in enforcing laws prohibiting smoking in public places, air-conditioned spaces, and restaurants, which...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has recently organised a discussion on integrative project propositions for youngsters by focusing on protection and prevention of child abuse within school walls, while proposing child development policies onto the master plan on the development of children and life quality in an effort to curb physical and mental abuse in children. ThaiHealth launched an Online Policy Crowdsourcing on the topic of “Creating Safe and Creative Spaces for Children”. The discussion, taking place on October 5, 2020, at ThaiHealth in Bangkok, focused on brainstorming for measures to deal with the problems of violence on children. The proceeds of the discussion were then forwarded to the relevant national-level mechanisms as constituted in Early Childhood Development Act (2019). Director, Healthy Child, Youth, and Family Promotion Section, Ms Nattaya Boonpakdee, said that early childhood development is a common mission among several organisations. Thailand has a national-level mechanism that integrates and regulates direction, standards, and cooperation among several government agencies, e.g. Early Childhood Development Committee under Early Childhood Development Act (2019). This particular law works with an aim of developing children continuously, thoroughly, and equally.   The system of early childhood development comprises creation of participation among relevant agencies on all levels, – national, regional, community, and family – effectively. The system shall ensure that children are raised, developed, educated,...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), in collaboration with National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (NECTEC), have jointly developed a mobile application “FoodChoice” to facilitate nutrition checking that will help the public – especially youngsters – in their selection of snacks and drinks, in a bid to fight against obesity and dental problems in young people. Sep 21, 2020 – ThaiHealth and NECTEC together organised a press conference on the launch of the latest “FoodChoice” innovative mobile application that will help identify nutrition in food products. The launch, organised at IMPACT Convention Centre at Muang Thong Thani, was witnessed by Deputy Public Health Minister Dr Sathit Pitutecha, ThaiHealth CEO Dr Supreda Adulyanon, Deputy CEO of ThaiHealth, Director General of Public Health Ministry’s Department of Health Dr Phanphimol Vipulakorn, and NECTEC Director Dr Chai Wutthiwiwatchai.   Speaking about the importance of correct knowledge among the general public, Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha said that people must have accurate and sufficient knowledge about nutrition in food products in order to make decision about what they should and should not eat according to their needs for the sake of health. However, there are many people who have difficulties understanding nutrition facts printed on food packages as the text is too small and too many nutritional details to understand.   Ministry of Public Health,...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and partners urged people to follow the new social value by wearing mask and helmet, while being concerned about half of the Thai motorists who do not wear helmets, citing the number of road fatality caused by not wearing helmet being 15 in 100 accidents while deaths from CoVid-19 are reportedly only 2 in 100 cases. Sep 3, 2020 – ThaiHealth organised a launch of campaign “Wear Mask and Helmet to Save Lives” with its major target of motorists on two wheels following worrisome number of casualties caused by road accidents. The campaign is a collaboration between ThaiHealth, Accident Prevention Network, Stop Drink Network, Stop Gambling Foundation, Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation, Life Quality Development Network, Risk Factor Reducing Youth Network, Youth Network Society, Thailand Youth Institute, and Road Accident Victims Protection Company Limited. ThaiHealth CEO Dr Supreda Adulyanon said that, according to study conducted in 2018 by ThaiRoads Foundation, only 45% of the total of 1,529,808 motorcyclists in municipalities nationwide actually wear helmets while driving – among them are 52% drivers and 22% passengers. This has led to an indication by Thai Accident Research Centre and Asian Institute of Technology that wearing helmets can reduce the risk of head injury of drivers by 43% and 58% of passengers.   “The severity of CoVid-19...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation has launched a role-playing activity under Health Detective Exhibition in a bid to educate and raise public awareness about health risks and health-related knowledge.     Aug 27, 2020  – At the inauguration of Health Detective exhibition at ThaiHealth headquarters in Bangkok, Dr Weeraphan Suphanchaiyamat,  2nd Vice-Chair of Thai Health Board of Governance, cited the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the foundation of disease prevention is the health promotion, which is in line with ThaiHealth’s strategy, saying that ThaiHealth is the supporting base of the government policy indicated in the five-year national masterplan for non-communicable disease (NCD) eradication (2017-2021) by focusing on problems and current situations about health-related knowledge, attempts to prevent and reduce the risk of fatality caused by NCDs that is branded the top cause of Thai people’s death.     ThaiHealth CEO Dr Supreda Adulyanon said that, according to the latest 2014 report from Burden of Disease Thailand, the biggest risk factors for male population are respectively alcoholic beverage, cigarette, tobacco, and high blood pressure. As for female population, the risk factors are overweight, obesity, high blood pressure, and unsafe sex – all of which are caused by reckless lifestyles. Therefore, the issue of health literacy should be taught since childhood; and Thailand is ranked below the standard line. ThaiHealth is proud to...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation is collaborating with Anti Fake News Centre in launching “CoFact” – a new innovation aimed at creating fact-finding community, by incubating the first class of anti fake news squad.   Aug 28, 2020 – ThaiHealth, in collaboration with the National Press Council of Thailand, Jit Arsa Bank, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, and Anti Fake News Network, have held the launch of anti fake news innovation “CoFact” at the 11th Discussion of Digital Thinkers, and the launch of the first class of anti fake news squad.     ThaiHealth CEO, Dr Supreda Adulyanon said that Thailand has always been struck by incessant waves of fake news in every direction, such as sales fraud, fake news about natural disasters, and health-related knowledge. The situation is believed to worsen if people fall victims to these fake news or share them unknowingly, communicating false and ill-intended information. The move to eradicate fake news in the New Normal society needs a central mechanism where people can check fact and find out whether the news they received are real.   The “CoFact” (Collaborative Fact Checking) – found at website “CoFact.org” and LINE official account @cofact – is the main drive to build “CoFact Community”, creating a new standard of knowledge and fact-finding community where everyone can be “Fact Checker”.       CoFact...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation joined hands with the government in organising a national-level panel discussion in a countdown to the grand event “Back to Thailand Running BOOM” under the New Normal principles under an effort to create a phenomenally new standards in running event.   ThaiHealth CEO, Dr Supreda Adulyanon, presided over the opening of the panel discussion on “Back to Thailand Running Boom”, the launch of “Run At Home” and “The Next Normal of Road Race Manual” handy guidelines to help runners to prepare themselves prior to their return to the field. The event was held on August 13, 2020 at Meeting Room 201, Thai Health Promotion Foundation headquarters in Bangkok.   “I strongly believe that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ reinstatement of 31 types of sport event after nationwide coronavirus lockdowns will be a beginning of a new normalcy of health promotion that health lovers are anticipating, and this is the reason why we are organising this discussion,” said Dr Supreeda.         Dr. Pairoj Saonuam, Assistant CEO, said that ThaiHealth and its network have been in several meetings with an aim to organise the grand event of “Back to Thailand Running Boom” in a hope that running events in Thailand will be back in fashion as they are thought to be an essential part...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and Autistic Thai Foundation, have jointly released a new set of exclusive instructional media for children with autism aiming at teaching how to take care of themselves during CoVid-19 pandemic, instructions on how to wash hands with alcohol gel, wearing face masks. A total of 4,800 copies of instructional media have been made in the form of instructional videos and flash cards and set to the network of children with special needs nationwide. The coalition also opened an IT & art academy for children with autism and children with special needs.         Speaking in an event to give away instructional media to children with autism at Autistic Thai Foundation on July 24, 2020, Mrs. Porranee Poobrasert, Director of Director, Health Promotion for Vulnerable Populations , praised the collaboration between ThaiHealth, Autistic Thai Foundation, and Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, in its hard work of creating an Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) instructional media for parents of children with autism and children with special needs to develop their communicational skills, with an aim to reduce parents’ costs of sending their children to special learning centres.     A total of 4,800 copies of visual strategies in the form of...

In January, Thailand became the second country to confirm a COVID-19 case but, since then, the country has shown remarkable resilience and, as of late July, there had not been any recorded cases of domestic transmission for nearly two months. Gita Sabharwal, the UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand, explains that this success is thanks to a combination of government action, social responsibility and community solidarity.   Thailand’s overall response, and ability to curb infections, has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify Thailand, alongside New Zealand, as a success story in dealing with the pandemic. Of course, that success entirely depends on continued vigilance, a whole-of-society approach, and ramped up testing to prevent a second wave as borders open and full economic activities are resumed.   The economic impact of the pandemic has been serious, with predictions of an 8.1 per cent contraction of the economy in 2020. According to a recent survey, 65 per cent of people in Thailand report that their incomes are totally or very inadequate under pandemic conditions, with almost the same percentage saying that their finances had been adversely affected.     Vulnerable communities bear the brunt   UNDP Thailand and a local NGO arranged for the delivery face masks to the ethnic community in Phuket province, Thailand.     Having started in my...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation and Department of Industrial Promotion is jointly promoting its Happy Workplace model, inspiring more than 2,000 SME employees to save as much as 6,000,000 baht during Buddhist Lent, while promoting Happy Money idea pushing the accumulated savings to 10 million baht. As a result, the campaign helped gain 245 million baht in company yield and 64% more happiness index.   At The Berkeley Hotel, Pratunam, Bangkok, ThaiHealth, in collaboration with the Department of Industrial Promotion, jointly organised the award ceremony for model enterprises and the exhibition on ThaiHealth’s operation under a project to promote productivity and well-being of SMEs (SHAP) in 2019. The award ceremony in total gave away 3 diamond awards, 12 platinum awards, 30 gold awards, 3 model community enterprise awards, and 17 model enterprise awards.   Dr Prakasit Kayasit, Deputy CEO of ThaiHealth and Acting Director of Organizations Promotion Section, said that ThaiHealth’s healthy workplace promotion plan has initiated the “Happy Workplace” campaign back in 2004. Today, the campaign is being observed and supported in terms of promotion of healthy environment in workplace, and development of health and vocational skills, by more than 10,000 government and private agencies.   ThaiHealth aims at promoting happiness in people at their workplaces in order to make their work more efficient, and to make them realise the...

Driven by Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) since 2003, the “Buddhist Lent Alcohol Free”campaign, which aims to encourage Thai people to refrain from drinking alcohols during the three-month period of Buddhist Lent for health benefits, has become a new social tradition in Thailand.   It has been 17 years since Thai Health launched the “Buddhist Lent Alcohol Free” campaign. Unlike previous years, Year 2020 is facing a new challenge of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Our lifestyle has completely changed. People are eager to take care of their health by doing exercise, self-cooking, abstaining alcohols to reduce all health risks due to severity of the pandemic situation. As prevention is simpler and easier than cure, all Thais are encouraged to stop drinking get through the COVID-19 crisis. Reducing cost: Many people have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 crisis. Refraining from alcohol beverages will enable those losing jobs to reduce cost and expenses while saving up more for other important bills and payment. Alcohol beverages are unnecessary items during the COVID-19 crisis. Being mindful: Living a mindful life is crucial especially when the COVID-19 crisis is still ongoing. In his teachings on the cultivation of Right Mindfulness, the Buddha listed the body; feeling tone of pleasant or neutral; the mind; and mental states as four objects or foundations for the practice....

Thailand ranks first among the countries with the highest COVID-19 recovery index, according to a report issued by the Global COVID-19 Index (GCI). The GCI report, published on 28 July 2020, gave Thailand an index score of 82.06 from 100 points, putting it on top of the countries that have made the most progress in curtailing the spread of the pandemic and can be used as examples of best practices. In the ranking of countries by recovery index, South Korea comes second, receiving 81.09 points. Coming third is Latvia (80.81), followed by Malaysia (79.37), Taiwan (78.94), New Zealand (78.55), Lithuania (77.54), Australia (77.18), Canada (75.87), and Malta (75.79). Among the 20 countries with the highest recovery index, five are in Asia. They include Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The GCI bases 70 percent of its calculation on big data and daily analysis, ranking 184 countries on how well they are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. The remaining 30 percent consists of static scores derived from the Global Health Security Index (GHS), an initiative led by the Johns Hopkins University that was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The GHS was developed to assess a country’s readiness to cope and handle any epidemic. The GCI has been developed by PEMANDU Associates in collaboration with Malaysia’s Ministry of...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has stepped in again this year to campaign for non-alcohol 2020 Buddhist Lent, urging drinkers to switch from risk factors to healthy lifestyle under “Invite-Help-CheerUp” slogan which is in line with ongoing money-saving campaign to endure crises. On the other side of the policy, the youth sector also joined hands with Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) in a campaign involving writing letters to parents, urging them to quit drinking, with the previous year’s success of saving as much as 8 billion baht while 90% of the general public views this as a useful and feasible programme.     Speaking at the press conference of the launch of Stop Drinking Campaign for 2020 Lent, Dr Supreda Adulyanon, ThaiHealth CEO, said that the CoVid-19 outbreak and the emerging New Normal lifestyle has upgraded this year’s Stop Drinking during Lent campaign to another level, as the pandemic renders this year’s Lent a very special and different period unlike the previous times.   ThaiHealth would like to invite every party to participate in this campaign during 2020 Lent, making it a starting point to take better care of themselves. Under a catchy theme of “Mindfulness”, people are urged to be inspired by the self-consciousness in changing the way people take care of themselves – especially in terms...

Mahidol University, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, and its network of partners, have jointly opened Thailand Physical Activity Knowledge Development Centre (TPAK) to fight against five issues that hinder physical activity movement and to promote physical activities in the international level with highlights on Play-Learn-Know model.   June 25, 2020 – Mahidol University, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), and partners launched an opening of Thailand Physical Activity Knowledge Development (TPAK) at Institute for Population and Social Research of Mahidol University. The press conference featured an online discussion on “Importance of Physical Activities for Thai people under New-Normal lifestyle”, forging collaboration among partners in reviving Thai people’s active physical activities during CoVid-19 outbreak.     Asst Prof Auemphorn Mutchimwong, Acting Vice Rector for Finance of Mahidol University, said that Mahidol University is well known for its expertise in producing research and studies beneficial to the development and application of creations of innovation and solution for the betterment of people’s lifestyles especially in terms of health. The university, therefore, decided to join hands with ThaiHealth in support of continual academic excellence following the fast-paced changes in the country and in the world, including the promotion of physical activities that is directly associated with health as stated by Dr Fiona Bull, World Health Organisation’s President of the International Society for Physical Activity and Health...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation is joining hands with Thailand Quit Line 1600 and Village Public Health Volunteers to launch a quest to find smokers who want to quit by forwarding cases to Thailand Quit Line 1600 and giving them continuous assistance until they quit successfully, while Public Health Minister praised the project as perfectly in line with the government’s policy of #เลิกสูบลดเสี่ยง or #QuitSmokingQuitRisking under an effort to curb the spread of CoVid-19 into the public.   June 24, 2020 – Thailand Quit Line 1600, in collaboration with Department of Health Service Support, Ministry of Public Health, and Thai Health Promotion Foundation, jointly organised a press conference for the launch of “Quest for I-want-to-quit Smokers” to raise awareness of the importance of quitting smoking among the general public during the ongoing period of CoVid-19 outbreak.   Public Health Deputy Minister Dr Sathit Pitutecha, said that even though the overall situation of the outbreak has subsided to some extent, it is necessary to sustainably keep a close watch for people’s health. He therefore came up with an idea to deploy village public health volunteers in villages to collect villagers’ information. And in order to maximise their abilities of the village public health volunteers, the Public Health Ministry collaborated with Thailand Quit Line 1600 in the campaign to help smokers stop smoking...

ThaiHealth recently announced the launch of “Citizen Resilience Project” by employing the idea of “Order & Deliver” and “Chiang Mai Tuk-Tuk Model” under the concept of Resilience, to draft the new community culture in using the public transport.   ThaiHealth’s Director of Opportunity Promotion Section, Mrs Khempet Lenapan, said that the ongoing CoVid-19 situation is forcing people to make immense adjustment to their lifestyles. To help people cope with fast-paced changes in their lives, the organisation decided to open for project proposals under “Citizen Resilience Project” to present 55 projects under 5 strategies:   1. CoVid-19 Literacy: open easier access to information e.g. CoVid-19 informative videos in ethnic languages, podcast in Lanna language, CoVid-19-related games.   2. Mental Health Relief: online activities to alleviate mental health problems caused by CoVid-19   3. High-Risk Support: a launch of mobile application to educate expectant mothers on suggested lifestyle from prenatal to postnatal periods, and family classroom in preparation of crisis.   4. Social Distancing: Order & Deliver platform, physical distances in public transport codename “You are Safe, Home is Safe”.   5. New Normal: Chiang Mai Tuk-Tuk for CoVid-19 survival, “Sharing Garden” or the adaptation assistance for the poor in big cities amidst CoVid-19 crisis. Project Manager of Order & Deliver project, Mr Akanat Wanthanasombat, said that the project “Order & Deliver”...

From incessant creation of ideas, the final piece of innovative invention of “rubber road guideposts” by fantastic-four students at Surat Thani Technical College – the innovation has won the first prize at ThaiHealth INNO Award – an award providing opportunities for secondary school and vocational college students who create innovative works to promote health – has finally been put to use by the government. The Department of Rural Roads, Ministry of Transport, organized a press conference on May 20, 2020 on the nationwide change of highway barrier posts into rubber following recent Ministry of Transport policy. Under the project, a total of 700,000 posts will be changed within the year 2022, with preliminary 200,000 posts to be changed within this year. The move is believed to minimise damages caused by road accidents of skidding or crashing into concrete posts, which lead to loss of life.   The move to change highway concrete guideposts into rubber is not only an effort to reduce loss of life and damage caused by road accidents, but also a push to increase the use of locally made rubber in the country and to help rubber planters to have better quality of life. Another advantage to the change is the price; as the production cost of a rubber guidepost is greatly cheaper than the concrete counterpart....

ThaiHealth – Thail Health Report 2020 by the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University showed that Thai health system e is on the world-class standard, with the total score of 73.2 out of 100, indicating that Thailand is one of the 13 countries with the most prepared for a pandemic. Director of ThaiHealth’s Partnership and International Relations Section, Dr Nuttapun Supaka, said that ThaiHealth would like to express gratitude towards the medical personnel community for their tireless dedication in trying to minimise the number of domestic infection cases of CoVid-19 epidemic in Thailand and that until now the situation is continuously improving. He is also delighted with the Thai Health Report 2020  which jointly produced by ThaiHealth, Institute for Population and Social Research Mahidol University, and academic  that collects the statistics from reliable international organizations, revealing Thailand’s health system has gained global recognition for the quality of its healthcare services.   According to John Hopkins University and Nuclear Threat Initiative, Thailand is ranked 6th in the world and 1st in Asia with the total score of 73.2/100 points in the Health Security Index 2019 (while the global average is 40.2 points). It is also regarded as one out of thirteen countries with the most prepared for a pandemic. “Thailand received 75.7 points in the category of disease prevention (3rd ...

World Health Organization participated today in the launch of   a special edition of the popular Thai comic magazine  Kai Hua  Ror   [Laughter for Sale]    designed to show families nationwide how to protect themselves from COVID-19. Dr. Daniel Kertesz, WHO Representative to Thailand, was among those who presented the special edition to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in a ceremony at Government House. Using cartoons and humour, the 56-page magazine shows readers how to reduce the risks of infection for themselves and their communities by using basic but effective measures – washing hands frequently and properly, coughing and sneezing safely, avoiding touching your mouth and nose, and staying a safe distance (1-2 m) from others. “We know that these simple but effective measures will help all people living in Thailand protect themselves and those around them from COVID-19.  They should be practiced by everybody, everywhere. All of us must pay special attention to them as businesses, schools and other public places reopen,” Dr. Kertesz said. “Continuing to apply these measures in Thailand and around the world is our best hope now against this pandemic.”   The cartoons also take on sensitive topics in simple and easy-to-understand terms, such as showing people how to reduce stigma around coronavirus infection and how to be aware of the domestic violence that has increased as a...

  The Thai Health Promotion Foundation and its partners are in support of ‘vulnerable families’ whose livelihood and financial stability are affected by the CoVid-19 pandemic through its newly launched ‘Pouring Hearts Fund for Survival of Vulnerable Families’, with more than 1,600 households in its preliminary run.   ThaiHealth’s Director of Healthy Child, Youth, and Family Promotion Section, Ms Nattaya Boonpakdee, said that the ongoing CoVid-19 pandemic is adversely affecting the financial stability of many families, which consequently led to their nourishment and mental livelihood. Therefore, ThaiHealth’s assistance for vulnerable families is collaborating with Foundation for Child Development, Deep South Young Heroes, Oon Airak Shelter for Orphans and the Underprivileged, Hill Area and Community Development Foundation, Foundation of Transgender Alliance for Human Rights, Foundation for Slum Child Care Under Patronage of Princess Galyani Vadhana of Narathiwas, Local Development Support Project, Sahathai Foundation, Children and Youth Network of Maha Sarakham, and Community Morale Foundation.       The Pouring Hearts Fund is employing the website of www.taejai.com to gather assistance efforts together with ThaiHealth, ChangeFusion Institute under Foundation for Thailand Rural Reconstruction Movement nder the Royal Patronage, and infoAID.       “In its first phase of 26 days (from April 16 to May 11), the fund succeeded in having access to as many as 1,634 households. In the second phase...

Get together to talk about COVID -19 sometimes   ThaiHealth has advised families to adjust and adapt the family rules under the New Normal lifestyles, by adhering to sanitary rules, washing hands, eating hot cooked food with personal silverware, keeping physical distances, and cheering your loved ones up when stress gets in the way.   ThaiHealth’s Director of Healthy Child, Youth, and Family Promotion Section, Ms Nattaya Boonpakdee, said that the “New Normal” context for Thai families largely varies depending on economical status, location, and types of family. Therefore, each family’s way of adjustment and adaptation to CoVid-19 age should be more or less flexible. However, the first thing to be done is reconstituting rules to meet the needs of the changing lifestyles in order to be safe from CoVid-19.   Try to maintain usual daily routines   Sanitation In big three-generation families, parents must educate other family members on the correct way to lead their lives according to sanitary issues – washing hands, eating hot cooked meals, not sharing personal necessities, wearing face masks when going out, and take thorough shower after returning home. Be a good role model for children   Keeping Physical Distance Physical distancing measure should be used even in household. If area is limited which make it difficult for keeping distance, there has to be...

ThaiHealth shares a success story in the fight against CoVid-19 of Ban Samrong village, situated in Tambon Tha Sawang, Surin province, in the attempt to rid the community of food shortage by employing organic agriculture, and sees the situation as a good opportunity to create community rules, ban alcohol, and promote good hygiene practices.   Director of ThaiHealth’s Opportunity Promotion Section, Mrs Khempet Lenapan, said that the practice of community development comprises several elements, with having a strong leadership as an important requirement. Therefore, ThaiHealth sees an opportunity in the application of community leaders’ council in the dealing with and prevention of infectious diseases and other health problems in the region. The village of Ban Samrong in Tambon Tha Sawang of Surin province is a model of opportunity promotion and health innovation project, on the foundation of 2013 Liveable Village Project. There, the village chief is able to collaborate in various types of community work with both villagers and other government offices. This makes Ban Samrong village a role model for many health-related activities – reduction of chemical use, non-alcoholic religious activities, happy household, zero dengue fever case, and many more.     Dr. Nuttapun Supaka, Director, Partnership and International Relations Section, said that ThaiHealth is working to support our partners in various areas, by making good use of Ban...

ThaiHealth, in collaboration with “White Radio” and “Community Radio” stations across the nation, has launched a special radio programme called Huajai Fu Su CoVid (lit. Puffed-up Heart in Fight Against CoVid-19) to share knowledge, help families and communities recover from the CoVid-19 situation, and prep them for the new lifestyles after CoVid-19.   ThaiHealth’s Director of Healthy Lifestyle Promotion Section and Acting Director of Media System and Spiritual Health Promotion Section, Dr Phiroj Saonuam, said that  ThaiHealth’s media system and spiritual health promotion aplan has been realigned during CoVid-19 outbreak situation by rushing to educate people through various channels. The organisation also incubated “Health Communicators” with proficiency in media usage and constructivism. These health communicators are selected radio announcers who are considered “change makers” that can support ThaiHealth’s work on preventive and protective measures. They have been deployed into communities to help people develop their own solutions responsibly to problems in households, communities, and societies, which led to media literacy. “Radio stations for children and family, as popularly known as White Radio, are responsible for reaching out to communities and educate listeners on knowledge concerning youth and families. The large network of more than 200 health communicators in more than 1,000 radio stations is believed to lubricate the mechanism of youth and family development, to transfer the up-to-dated and accurate...

ThaiHealth, in collaboration with Department of Health Service Support, Ministry of Public Health, is in support of deploying more than a million village health volunteers to launch door-to-door education on CoVid-19, while praising Bunrueang Sub-district in Chiang Rai province for their best practices of the popular slogan literally translated as “Eat while it’s hot; Use one’s own spoon, Wash hands, Practice solitude, Not blame others, Hurry back home, and Have social responsibility.” Director of Bunrueang Sub-district Health Promoting Hospital g, Chiang Khong District of Chiang Rai, Mr Rit Changpad, said Bunrueang Sub-district has a total of approximately 6,300 inhabitants in 10 villages. Right after the first wave of CoVid-19 outbreak in Thailand, the  villagers who had originally worked away from the village returned to their homes. The 124 village health volunteers of the sub-district began to launch a mission of disseminating information alongside public health officials, urging returnees by saying “Stay at Home” rather than saying “Quarantine” while educating them on how to look after themselves according to public health principles.   After the first mission, the village health volunteers collected information from the village headman on a daily basis. The information collected contains the villagers’ travelling log in and out of the community, health data, and fever test data. The data was then forwarded to Chiang Rai provincial health...

ThaiHealth, with collaboration from Thammasat University and Mahidol University, has distributed educative media on CoVid-19 in 10 languages of ethnic minorities and immigrant workers in Thailand through   ethnic health communicators under an effort to alleviate panic, forging understanding in self-protection.   Mrs Porranee Phuprasert, Director,  Populations Health Promotion Section, ThaiHealth  said that ThaiHealth is in collaboration with Thammasat University’s Faculty of Public Health – under the ethnic women’s healthcare access mechanism development project – in producing informative media kits for ethnic minorities to use as a guideline to educate themselves under the CoVid-19 situation. The informative media has been made into more than 10 languages, e.g. Shan, Lahu, Akha, and Hmong, and will be diffused as online media, infographics, video clips, Facebook posts, LINE announcements, and community radio. .  sThe community’s leader and interpreters will be also encouraged to be ethnic health communicators.   In addition, ThaiHealth also joined hands with Mahidol University’s Faculty of Tropical Medicine in jointly producing informative media on CoVid-19 in three languages of Burmese, Lao, and Khmer, for immigrant workers that live in Thailand.   “The spread of CoVid-19 virus adversely affects certain groups of people who are inaccessible to useful information, disease prevention equipment including face masks and hand-washing soap. Some ethnic groups are exhibiting mass panic and don’t dare even go out...

Thai Health Promotion Foundation is in support of social distancing measures to curb the interpersonal spread of CoVid-19 within its own organisation, while urging all hospitals to adopt the same measures. ThaiHealth’s CEO, Dr Supreda Adulyanon, revealed that the Thai Health Promotion Foundation  has adopted and implemented social distancing measures by adjusting its building and environment in an effort to curb the interpersonal spread of CoVid-19, nespecially in the canteen area on the ground floor, buildinglifts, and drink stalls, which are the spaces where ThaiHealth uses to welcome visitors. With cooperation of the Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, ThaiHealth has finalised the special space utilisation design under social distancing concept by one to two metres to help reduce the risk of infection through aerosol or airborne droplets.   Best in use during times for social interaction involving not too many people, the social distancing measures shall be used as a guideline to reduce the spread of the virus – by keeping a void of approximately 6 feet (1.80 metre), avoiding activities that engage immediate or bodily interaction, and avoiding crowded areas, etc. Dr Supreda continued by saying that ThaiHealth is going to promote the concept of social distancing  to help health care workers who work in very sensitive areas, as well as people who cannot avoid being with the crowd....

Amidst the crisis of CoVid-19 pandemic that adversely affects the entire planet, Thailand, one of the hotspots in concern, realised the height of this worldwide threat and strive to conduct monitoring, vigilance, and screening within the nation to cope with the upward trend of the infection. In order to quickly put the society in control in swift motion, the Municipality of Wapi Pathum – one of ThaiHealth’s healthy community network and one of Thailand’s communities that serves as the centre of the region where people commute to and from to conduct businesses – has initiated a healthy community project and strict health monitoring with the following measures:   Urged public awareness in how to live in the community with people of no risk and people with risk of infection. Provided mobile washbasins made from recycled waste to give people places to wash their hands on a regular basis. Installed a newly-invented innovation of “Full-Body Treatment Chamber for CoVid-19” in the community with the use of mild acidic water with quality of eradicating 99% of bacteria, microbes, and viruses in place of isopropyl alcohol. These are the kind of strength we see in this healthy community of Wapi Pathum Municipality, supported by ThaiHealth’s budget to reduce risk factors and increase health factors. The same project is also conducted in 15 other...

ThaiHealth has collaborated with the Physical Activity Research Centre (PARC) in organising the 1st National Conference on Physical Activity to call on Thai people to move their bodies and to kick idling habit, with a target of 80% more physical activities within the year 2021 when Thailand hosts the 6th National Conference on Physical Activity again.   Themed under “Active Living For All”, the National Conference on Physical Activity, the first of its kind, organised during November 17 to 18, 2015, at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, ended with fruitful results thanks to collaboration from various organisations e.g. the Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, and Chulalongkorn University.   Assoc Prof Wilasinee Phiphitkul, Senior Director of ThaiHealth, said that the organisation had collaborated with all parts of the society to work on increasing the rate of physical activities and promoting health spaces. According to 2015 statistics jointly conducted with the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, it has found that physical activities for Thai have increased from 66.3% in 2012 to 71.6% in 2015, representing a 7% increase. The increase is not considered high compared to the average of 13.42 hours of idling behaviours among Thai people as opposed to 1.57 active movements in a day. Most of the collected idling activities are staring at computer screens,...

‘Education’ is a series of process to help people develop themselves in various aspects. Therefore, the teaching is not limited only to the general education in theories, but teaching should include practical part to help with brain and skill development as a strong foundation for the future use. Speaking in the conference on “Education and Thailand’s Change: Educational System Reform” organised by ThaiHealth, with collaboration of Institute for Research on Education System (IRES), and Sodsri-Saridwong Foundation, Mr Anusorn Fu-Charoen, Vice Minister for Education said that the key to the development of the educational system is to make classrooms the centre of learning by focusing on teaching and change the foundation of learning into practical learning. Teachers ought to learn at the side of their students. This will help improving the teacher-student relationship. Community participation is also needed to help adjust each locale’s education to cater to the current problems and real needs in order to achieve the sustainable learning process.   “Today, there are several schools where educational reform is attempted in many areas in Thailand, but they need to spread out throughout the country, with the help of the quest for the most suitable model for a school by analysing past lessons. In this conference, we expect to find the right methodology so that it can be made policy,”...

Thai people have changed a lot in the past years. They have now become idle people who dislike walking, stick to their easy comfort, sitting idle in front of television or swiping their mobile phones. It’s safe to say that they are more inclined to idling than moving about.   Echoing the recent study conducted by the Institute for Population and Social Research of Mahidol University, the research has found that only 67.6% of Thai people are engaged in Physical Activity (PA), and that the number of 6- to 14-year-old youngsters who are engaged in physical activity decreased continuously – the number corresponding with the increasing rate of obesity.     In the upcoming public forum for physical activity towards Bangkok Declaration and Public Policy as part of the “6th ISPAH Congress: International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health, jointly organised by Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), the International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH), the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), and World Health Organization (WHO), the forum will be held on November 16-19, 2016, at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) with 800 anticipated number of participants from around the world.   Speaking about the congress, Dr Udomsin Srisaengnam, head of the ISPAH organising committee, said that ThaiHealth had played an important role...

Amidst the large variety of consumer products, it is undeniable that there are products that are not safe hidden somewhere. It’s a risk that consumers have to face, or even take health risk.   The Health Consumer Protection Programme (HCPP), Chulalongkorn University, under academic collaboration of Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has released the “National Indicator of Health Consumer Protection” to assess the current situation and to be guidelines for the consumer protection system in Thailand.     In the recent first National Consumer Council of Thailand, Dr Wanna Sriviriyanuparp, HCPP Deputy Manager, said that the National Indicator of Health Consumer Protection in 2014 discovered that 79.8% of consumers in Thailand are having good knowledge about health consumer products. They can choose by themselves to purchase and consume products that are in good quality and up to the safety and other standards. 89.3% of the samples are having fair knowledge about health consumer products.   Furthermore, the indicator also found that 65.5% have been found to consume food with high fat content; 49.6% have been found to drink soda pops, and sweet beverages; 35.5% have been found to consume crispy snacks. In general, the indicator found that consumers knew well how to protect their own rights when they had problems about consumer products, as 77.3% of the samples have been...

The Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Centre (TRC) of Mahidol University has revealed that Thai youngsters are ranked the third of ASEAN in terms of youth smoking, while introducing Project-X, a project conducted to encourage cigarette quitting in the form of 8 learning lessons to win over social influence and emotion management, under concept of “Once you smoke, it’s hard to quit, but you can”.   Dr Siriwan Pitayatangsarit, Director of the ThaiHealth-sponsored TRC said that Thai youngsters are on the top three of ASEAN’s tobacco use, according to Global Youth Tobacco Survey in 2007-2013. In 2009, 20% of Thai young males of 13-15 years of age were smokers, seconded by Indonesia (41%) and Malaysia (31%). As for young females, the survey has found that only 3.8% of Thai girls of 13-15 years of age were smokers, lower than the numbers in Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Singapore. Although in the big picture, the tendency of the percentage of young smokers in 2014 did not increase much from 2009 from 20% to 20.7%, but the number of smokers increased greatly from 10.9 million to 11.4 million smokers as the number of population rose substantially in the last five years.   Moreover, teenage smoking creates the bigger and longer-term problem of cigarette addiction in adult as they are not...

Consumption of non-chemical or organic vegetables has started to become a trend as people tend to care more about their health, said Chiang Rai Governor Mr Boonsong Techamaneesathit in a speech to welcome a press squad in the “Chiang Rai: Food Safety and Happy People” project. He also added that Chiang Rai was one of the most important tourist destinations, organic agriculture, with 1.2 million people.   A large amount of tourists come to Chiang Rai each year to eat and travel. The Chiang Rai province then agreed to collaborate with ThaiHealth to organise a food safety project by brining clean and organic food to promote tourism and accommodate tourists visiting Chiang Rai. As a plus, this province has been branded as the country’s first province of green and organic food, thanks to high-quality quality control in its organic agriculture.   Suthep Thippharat, agriculturist, said that the concept of clean food in Chiang Rai have to be safe and well taken care of from upstream to downstream by creating farmers’ network, organic farm, and client base such as restaurants. The establishment of green markets for farmers to distribute their products and provide consumers with access to good food, was under way. The Chiang Rai Green Network is composed of five elements: 1) Green Community, 2) Green Service, 3) Green Health,...

ThaiHealth has expressed support to its “Tobacco-free Province” project, aiming at reducing the rate of cigarette consumption, and preventing new smokers in Thailand.   In the past 10 years, ThaiHealth has been active in supporting the tobacco control policy operated by the Health Risk Control II Section. The specific goal of this plan is to reduce the tobacco consumption rate in Thailand in 2014 by down 10% since 2009. In order to achieve the target, ThaiHealth has been continuously organising “Tobacco-free province” project since 2014 on the basis of information collected by the National Statistical Office in smoking and drinking behaviour of the Thai population in 2014, to find the starting ground while aiming at expanding the operations into all regions of the country. The research starts at reaching the target group by focusing areas suitable for the national tobacco control strategies. The involvement of all sectors of the community and corporate goals are needed using social capital based on the context of each area to reduce smoking rate of population in the province to drop to the target goals.   The Southern province of Pattani has been in the programme since 2014. At the beginning, ThaiHealth provided support aiming to create tobacco control at the provincial level and pursue strategic plan for the national tobacco control strategies. Later on,...

The problem of premature or teen pregnancy is one of the most deteriorating social problem. Each year, Thailand reports bigger number of teen mothers. According to the latest report of pregnancy rate among women of less than 20 years old conducted worldwide by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2013, up to 74 of 1,000 Thai women were pregnant, with similar rate reported in Malaysia, while Laos came second.   Teen pregnancy is a major issue on which both public and private sectors agree that this urgent issue must be addressed by working together. Path to Health Foundation, ThaiHeath has been collaborating with Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and alliances from both public and private sectors to organise a “Bangkok for Teen” or B4T at Taksin hospital, Bangkok.   Dr Sirikiat Liangkobkit, Director of ThaiHealth’s Health Risk Control II Section, said that “Teen pregnancy is an obstacle to teen’s education because it is not yet socially acceptable in Thailand. They will lose many opportunities to develop themselves academically and it will also affect their unborn children as well”.     Bangkok will be the pilot province for this project because Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and there’re almost one million teenagers here. They are role model of all the teens in this country. If they are able to prevent teen pregnancy...

In the present days, there are still parents who evaluate their children based on their academic performance. However in fact, there are many children who did not grow up with mental intelligence because they can’t make the best out of what they have learnt.   Therefore, the academic proficiency is not the answer of children’s survival. Successful children must have good “Executive Functions” or EF. ThaiHealth’s reading culture promotion programme has collaborated with Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT), and RLG Group to organise a seminar titled “The answer of Thailand’s educational revolution”.     Mrs Sudjai Promkerd, Director of ThaiHealth’s Reading Culture Promotion Programme, explained that the programme was trying to drive forward the development of young children, and realised that the EF is evolving around reading. Reading is the most important tool in order to enhance skills for children. The campaign promotes reading and encourages reading habit in the Thai society because the materials in books can help improving children’s EF skills.   A recent case study has discovered that reading books to small children can create the circle of learning for them, book is the easiest tool and you only have to invest on books once and what they learn from the books will stay with them for the rest of their lives. For example, teacher...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a report on Health Economics indicating that the accessibility to public health should also cover prevention and healing, not just medical treatment.   The international conference for Prince of Mahidol Award 2016 has recently touched the issue of budget allocation for health promotion. Dr Akihito Watabe, WHO economic expert on budget allocation, said there was no specific method to allocate budget for health promotion projects. It depends on what method each country relies upon. However, the most important matter is that people must be able to have access to public health care and bankruptcy prevention for people facing the medical treatment fees.   Dr Watabe, and representatives from the International Health Policy Programme, also had time to learn about Thailand’s healthcare system. Thailand has its own tax funding for specific purpose or ‘Earmarked Tax’ system. The earmarked tax is financially supporting Thailand’s health promotion projects.   From the study, Thailand’s 10-year history of having the health policy enforced, the country has allocated budgets to several channels – 32.9% to Public Healthcare, 23.1% to National Health Security Office (NHSO), 22.8% to local governments, 7.3% to ThaiHealth, and only 4.4% to the household sector. These figures have indicated that ThaiHealth has received only a small amount of earmarked tax to fill its budget. Dr Watabe...

By encouraging young folks to read as children can be a foundation of learning and creativity for the rest of their life while building up their personality in every aspect.   The reading campaign supported by ThaiHealth has been launched under the concept of “Reading in Wonderland: The Miracle of Reading”   Mrs Sutjai Promkerd, manager of ThaiHealth reading project, said that this campaign has been organised to urge everybody to see how reading can be crucial to child development and how it provides chances to exchange knowledge,  increase the potential for the academic network.   She stated that “From my experience, the most serious problem we found is that children have slow linguistic development. Language is the most important basic of life because if children can’t communicate, it can affect them both mentally and emotionally. However, this problem can be prevented by people reading them some storybooks.”   She also said that, the research of small child development by the Department of Health since 1999 to 2014 found that Thai children were struggling to develop, but declined continuously. The latest report on 3rd grade students in Thailand had difficulties in writing and reading up to 38.2%. Among them, 5% couldn’t read or white at all, while more than 30% could read and write in some extent. This could become...

ThaiHealth has launched a Valentine campaign focusing on concept of “Don’t Let Love Turn Sour” that reflects on domestic violence in families while urging family members to be responsible. On the other part of the campaign, a teen mum revealed about her failed love life due to a domestic violence.   Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation (WMP), Stop Drink Network, Youth Network of New Face Drinker Prevention, Stop Gambling Network (Yut-Phanan), No Gambling Club and ThaiHealth on February 11, 2016, jointly organised a 2016 Valentine campaign — “Don’t Let Love Turn Sour”. A stage play reflecting teenage problem under the name “What… has turned your loved one upside down” was performed.   At the launch, Ms A (name withheld) a 19-year-old mother who has been in an abusive relationship told the story about her past in the topic “Don’t Let Love Turn Sour”, saying she was dating with her boyfriend for a year and at first the boy treated her well with respect. Later on they argued a lot due to jealousy. He accused her of cheating on him. The boyfriend’s family were always speaking bad at her but she put it up because of love and wanted to have a future with him even though he treated her badly.   After a while she just couldn’t take it...

The issue of fraudulent hygiene products such as medicine, cosmetics or other soft drinks, has become a big problem that affects the health of consumers, especially those who are not aware of it and do not know how to verify the sources and ingredients of such products for some substances that can be unhealthy or even fatal.     Chalerm Prakiat Health Centre Udon Thani and ThaiHealth have collaborated with the 8th region Medical Science Centre of Udon Thani, in a field trip to promote health and raise consumers’ awareness using “Single Window” as an inspection tool to ensure safety of medicine and products in the community.   The activities have been organised to raise consumers’ awareness on many aspects of knowledge. Nowadays, it is easy to conduct research because all the information is at fingertips, and thanks to technology, the source of knowledge is very convenient and very effective.     Dr Sirikiat Liangkobkit, Director of ThaiHealth’s Minor Health Risk Control Section, said that unsafe health products are often contaminated by steroid, packaged in a plastic bag, or mixed with Thai traditional medicine. These fake products cost up to 1.9 billion baht annually of medical treatment and these fraudulent products are usually over-advertising to trick people into believing the products, which cause a lot of problems after.   That...

Dr Supreeda Adulyanon, ThaiHealth manager, speaking in the press conference on management approach of ThaiHealth as “Health Professionals” at 10:30 a.m. on February 3rd at Heath Learning Centre Building room 501 on Rama IV road.   During the past 13 years of ThaiHealth’s first-phase works, the word “Health Promotion” was still a new issue in Thailand. There were no concrete patterns in Thailand and even in similar organisations abroad were using different operational methodologies. This is why ThaiHealth is aiming at finding the most effective approach that suits the nature of Thai people. After experience that is accumulated over the years, ThaiHealth is now ready to step forward and be “Health Professionals”.   “At the age of 15, ThaiHealth is looking back at its first establishment in 2001. At that time, there were not many organisations that really focus on health issues. There were no clear objectives or planning. Plus, there were no model organisations that ThaiHealth could follow the path. So, in the first few years, the organisation was virtually in the “learning phase” with trials and experiments until it found the best operational path. When our organisation accumulated more experience and knowledge, we are now ready to take the next step and become an organisation of health professionals trusted by the Thai society and the world community.  ...

The richness of Thailand’s natural resources around us are all beneficial, and even more to those who really know how the use the resources.   “Teacher” is another resource for the country who helps children to learn systematically. Some of them may haven’t been educated in education, but if they have the pure heart and true intention to develop children into quality adults, they can make the the best use of the available resources in order to benefit the cause of the society.   Child development centres play an important role in improving children’s potentials. These places have well designed the learning curves and creative spaces for learning, plus positive instructors’ skills and mentality. For this reason, child development centre is crucial to the Thai child’s good health.   Tambon Administrative Organisation of Muang Wan, in Saraburi province, is an obvious example of a good child development centre as it is supported in many aspects by director of nearby Wat Khao Din school who let the centre use the school’s free space on the ground floor of a school building. At the beginning, there were about 20 children at the centre but it has not been registered with the Department of Local Administration so it has not received financial support from the government. The centre then lacked necessary supplies and...

The “Seven Dangerous Days” of road safety have passed and the results did not look sufficiently good. This has made us look back to the 2013 report of world road safety where 38.1 per 100,000 died from road accidents. This figure indicates that Thailand’s death rate is on the world’s top three. This signifies that road accident adversely hinders livelihood, economy, and the country’s development. It is, therefore, necessary for serious collaboration among several sectors of the society. The media and the press are an important part of the solution mechanisms.   The 12th national symposium on road safety organised under concept of “Half a decade of Serious Suppression” led by Dr Udomsin Srisaengnam, ThaiHealth advisor, has touched the role of the media on the tackling of road accidents. Dr Udomson said that the media shall spread the words to the general public for the benefit of the society. So this is believed to be the main drive to help reduce Thailand’s road accidents. However, it is noticeable that media activities that involve “investigative journalism” are scarce.   Dr Udomsin reiterated, if the media only report the news about road accidents without investigative portion where culprits and responsible parties are sought, while presenting ways to prevent future events, creating awareness of safety to the public. He also said that we...

Various views about ThaiHealth   ThaiHealth committee chairman Adm Narong has set guidelines for the nomination and appointment of seven ThaiHealth committee members and urged “transparency, with no external influences”, appointed Dr Udomsil Srisangnam as the head of the selection committee, while reiterating that the selection process must conclude within 30 days | ThaiHealth board gave green light, appointed Dr Supreeda as the organisation’s new manager.   January 22 – Deputy Prime Minister Adm Narong Pipatanasai, in his capacity as chairman of the committee of Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), revealed after concluding a selection committee meeting  of 1/2016 that, the meeting agreed to appoint the second vice chairman and the seven committee members to substitute the vacant seats. The meeting validated Prof Dr Udomsil Srisangnam, ThaiHealth fund consultant, to be the head of the selection committee. The newly appointed seven committee members are Mrs Prapasri Boonwises, representative of the Office of the Permanent Secretary of Prime Minister’s Office; Mr Rapheephan Sariwat, former Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office; Mrs Ticha na Nakorn, specialised committee member; Assoc Prof Dr Wittaya Kulsomboon, former member of the National Reform Council (NRC); Dr Sirikiat Liangkobkit, Director of ThaiHealth Health Risk Control II Section; and ThaiHealth manager, as well as additional appointed officials as secretaries.   “There have been calls from ThaiHealth...

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has revealed that the transmission of Mother-to-Child HIV was hovering close to zero percent, while preparing to be certified by the World Health Organisation (WHO).                         Clin Prof Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, Public Health Minister, revealed in an event organised to observe the World AIDS Day – “Ready to Stop New Infection” at Regional Health Promotion Centre 2 of Saraburi that, after first reports about mother-to-child transmission of HIV in 1988, the infection rate soared drastically that various agencies in the government sector, private sector, and international communities rushed to develop pilot research projects to help prevent tranmission from mother to child in Thailand.                         So far, the Ministry of Public Health has been working on a policy to provide public health services in the issue of Mother-to-Child HIV transmission through its network of Mother and Child Health Service in hospitals throughout the country. The process involves HIV blood test in pregnant woman and provision of milk mixture for babies conceived by HIV-infected mother since 1993, and the provision of antiretroviral medication “Zidovudine” (AZT) in mother and child since 2000. The medicinal formulae of antiretrovital drug have continuously been adjusted. Later, the new Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy...

                      Urban Design and Development Centre (UDDC) has introduced the idea of “Inclusive Bangkok”, by developing Thailand’s capital to provide easily accessible public services and to increase public spaces, while seeing that the city has potential to do so.                         Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (L’institut de Recherche sur l’Asie du Sud-Est Contemporaine or IRASEC), Alliance Française Bangkok, Faculty of Architecture of Chulalongkorn University, Urban Design and Development Centre (UDDC), and National Superior School of Architecture Paris-Belleville (École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville), recently jointly organised the “Grand Bangkok – Grand Paris: Inclusive Cities” at Alliance Française Bangkok.                         Speaking about the development of Bangkok, Asst Prof Dr Niramon Kulsrisombat, Director of UDDC, Chulalongkorn University, said that Bangkok in the future should be the place where city dwellers can have easy access to the available public services under the concept of “Inclusive City”. She said now it is the high time of the big cities where half of the world’s population live in. The cities, therefore, have become a common ground for people of different cultural, racial, linguistic backgrounds, and genders.                  ...

At the time when Thailand is struggling to build bicycle lanes all over the city, experiences from many other countries have been raised and discussed as lessons and examples in constructing world-class bicycle cities.   In the 4th “Thailand Bike & Walk Forum: Bike & Walk For All” jointly organised by Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), Thailand Cycling Club, and the network of alliances, Dr Cheng-sheng Pong, Director of Public Works Department, Government of Taipei City, was invited as a guest speaker to elaborate Taipei’s experiences and lessons in their building of bicycle city.     Dr Pong said that Taipei in 1997 first witnessed its first bicycle lane on the riverside, and then the bicycle lane crept into the city. It was the new model for constructing  Asian cities’ bicycle lanes, expanding pedestrian paths, and allocating new space for walking and cycling. Nowadays, Taipei possesses 71.47 kilometres of bicycle lanes, 308.33 kilometres of shared roadways, and 112 kilometres of riverside bicycle lanes.   The plan to build bicycle lanes in 2015-2019 aims at promoting the use of bicycles as vehicle for daily life for relaxation, shopping, and travel. The move also plans to provide friendly and safe atmosphere for bicycles. At present, Taipei has a total of 379.8 kilometres citywide.   Director of Public Works of Taipei City Government...

1. Role of ThaiHealth in the promotion of Thai people’s good health                     ThaiHealth was established in 2001 in accordance with Health Promotion Foundation Act, which was a derivation of Australian government’s success health promotion effort. As of now, the organisation with more or less the same role exist in 12 countries worldwide.                        ThaiHealth was designed to be a tool for the promotion of good health of Thai people. At present, health problems are considered complex and are not under care of the public health system. For example, Thailand’s effort to address the problems of traffic accidents can be done politically in only 5% of the country’s public health agencies. The problem must be addressed in integrative manner between several ministries, the private, and the public sector. It is, therefore, necessary to have a central working mechanism to realise the collaborative working manner. This idea is in line with the suggestion from the World Health Organisation that encouraged members to establish such a fund, like ThaiHealth, for a country to have a seamless integration of mechanisms to promote good health.   ThaiHealth, after 10 years along the path, has welcomed several delegations of inspectors and auditors – experts from the World...

Two lawmakers have expressed their concern over the proposed amendment of the Health Promotion Act, wanted instead to add transparency issues into the regulation for fearing the organisation would return to the original framework by focusing only on curing patients, while suggesting that ThaiHealth chairpersons not sit in the project approval committee.                         Today (Nov 5) Mr Somchai Swangkarn, member of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) commented about the proposed amendment of the Health Promotion Act B.E. 2544 as saying that, after ThaiHealth’s annual audits, he viewed that ThaiHealth is an organisation with beneficial results. However, the law that is currently under public spotlight must be reconsidered. So as ThaiHealth as an organisation, must be ready to be under scrutiny, in condition that the auditing organisation performs such audit under standards. As now, there are concerns about the standards of both the audited and the auditing organisations. As for the issue of conflict of interest, ThaiHealth should reconsider its project approval method. The organisation’s chairpersons should not take second position in the project approval committee. Furthermore, if there is any task that is considered beyond the power of ThaiHealth, the organisation should let other organisations do such task.                       “If the government insists to amend the law, it should be done carefully by avoiding...

Daily News                       Speaking about the public scrutiny where a number of projects have been found to have violated the rules of sponsoring by misinterpreting the objectives of some projects in order to justify such sponsoring as health promotion projects, Deputy Chief of ThaiHealth, Dr Wichai Chokwiwatana, said on October 23, 2015, insisting that all ThaiHealth projects have been officially proven to be under the regulations set by the Health Promotion Act.                       According to the meaning of the term “Health” as interpreted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), it signifies the complete well-beingness of of health, mind, and society, not just being without diseases and disabilities. Furthermore, according to 1986 Ottawa Charter in the chapter of health promotion, the charter promotes the health promotion projects in five aspects: 1) creating public policies for health, 2) creating health-friendly environment, 3) strengthening communities, 4) developing personal skills, 5) improving the healthcare system with goals of preventing illnesses and promoting good health. The whole world have since been adhered to these guidelines. Thailand’s standpoint in adhering to such international principles is the normal practice.                       Dr Wichai also added that, the approval of ThaiHealth projects...

by Prawpan Suriwong | September 9, 2015                       Patients and persons affected by cigarettes have united as a network to launch a campaign to promote awareness of the loss of lives caused by cigarettes, and to urge the prime minister to constitute the new tobacco control law in order to protect the new generation from the danger of cigarette smoking.                              Prof Emer Dr Somsri Pausawasdi, President of the National Alliance for Tobacco-Free Thailand spoke on September 9, 2015, that it was the great moment to officially introduce the network of cigarette victims in Thailand. This network is a union of cigarette smokers, their relatives, and people who are affected by the danger of cigarettes, to publicise about the danger of cigarette smoking. The network is bound to prevent Thailand’s new generation from falling victims to cigarettes in every possible manner, to reduce the risk of falling ill and succumbing to the diseases caused by cigarettes, especially to support the government in its issuance of the new Tobacco Control Act to protect the youngsters from cigarette smoking.                       Asst Prof Dr Suthat Rungruanghiranya, Lecturer at Department of Internal Medicine,...

by: Pavinee Thepkhamram | September 4, 2015                       ThaiHealth has joined hands with 371 local administrative offices in 59 provinces in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding addressing six health-related issues, announcing plans to establish network of tobacco and alcohol control centres; to promote cigarette-free households in homes where there are children or persons with chronic diseases; to set up elderly care and sustainable agriculture centres; waste management centres; and to incubate youth leaders.                       The workshop on the development of community-based health promotion, taking place at Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) at Bang Na on August 29, 2015, was presided over by Ms Duangporn Hengboonyaphan, Director of ThaiHealth’s Healthy Community Strengthening Section.                       Speaking at the workshop, Ms Duangporn said that ThaiHealth has continuously collaborated with the network of healthy communities. After announcing the policy in driving forward various health issues, the workshop was the groundbreaking event witnessing a signing of Memorandum of Understanding with as many as 371 local administrative offices of 59 provinces of Thailand to address six health issues.                       ThaiHealth will address the following...

by Dr Prakit Watheesathokkij Former Chairperson of the Committee for the Establishment of Health Promotion Public Organisation                         The issue proposed by the Committee for the Establishment of Health Promotion Public Organisation (CEHPPO), to amend three articles of the Health Promotion Act – the definition of health promotion, the issue conflict of interest of the committee members, and the budgeting of ThaiHealth. I have nothing against the first two amendment proposals for better and clearer depiction for the society.                         But I, as one of the first founders of the Health Promotion funds, would like to clarify about the origin of the fund, especially about the special budgeting system – one that is completely beyond the orbit of the conventional budgeting, with serious scrutiny.                         The first ideas of the Health Promotion fund was initiated in 1995, after the birth of two tobacco control laws: Tobacco Product Control Act B.E. 1992, and Non-Smoker’s Health Protection Act B.E. 1992. Later in 1993, a problem was found after the failure of an attempt, by the Ministry of Public Health, to solicit a budget to assist the tobacco control work. At the same...

                       Though the “Rongmuang Community” next to the central train station of Hualamphong has once been a dense shanty town packed with vice and rubbish, all these disconcerting elements are not a restriction for its people to recreate a new “Creative Space” thanks to the unity and harmony of the Rongmuang Community, in an attempt to make Rongmuang a smiling community. The Rongmuang community opened itself to welcome visiting guests under the “Rongmuang with a Smile” project on April 3rd, 2015.                     On a simple but lovely theme, the community ground was opened to let people in the community show off their abilities, talents, and vocational success stories. Most importantly, the ground was also packed with food stalls from nearby popular restaurants selling their specialities in reasonable prices. The event was warmly welcomed by the general public, who praised the Rongmuang Community for its unity and harmony in making it the “Creative Space”.                     Thanks to the Foundation for Child Development (FCD), Rongmuang Community Council, community volunteers, community youth group, under support of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), Child and Youth Media Institute, and Dee Jung Space Club. The objectives for this project was to put on trial...

                    The goal that has been pitched with the hope of making all Thai people healthy is the very foundation of the promotion of  “4-dimensioned well-beingness”   which are, risk factors in food, physical exercise, alcohol, and cigarette. ThaiHealth is now driving these four dimensions of hope into “organisations” and the “Thai labour” under “Happy Workplace” campaign, making an echo of the World Health Organisation’s “Healthy Workplaces” and the International Labour Organisation’s “Decent Work” ideologies.                     According to the recent information from the National Statistical Office of Thailand, Thailand has more than 10 million labourers from more than 400,000 entrepreneurial enterprises of every size registered with the Social Security Office in Thailand. This target group, therefore, has become the new potential audience for ThaiHealth to get closer to them to change their health-related behaviours.                     Advisor to ThaiHealth Prof Dr Udomsilp Srisaengnam pointed out a clear picture explaining thereason why the issue of health should matter for this group of people, citing the 2006 report issued by the Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Programme (HITAP) that alcohol caused negative impact on the economy by 150 billion baht or 2% of the national GDP.            ...

                      ThaiHealth has been celebrated by Malaysia and South Korea as a model organisation for health promotion of Asia, thanks to its conformity in framework with the Ottawa Charter, while urging the Thai government to keep on recognising the importance of health issues in various overlapping dimensions.                         Tan Sri Dr Nasir bin Mohd Ashraf, President of the Malaysian Health Promotion Foundation (MySihat), spoke after a study trip to Thailand’s Health Promotion Foundation during October 26-27, 2015, that he had been informed about the public scrutiny on ThaiHealth’s operation and about how the organisation was urged to narrow the scope of work down to only tobacco and alcohol controls. As a response, he viewed that the current ThaiHealth’s work should be praised that it follows the five requirements as stated on the Ottawa Charter to the letter by promoting health in both personal and societal levels. Furthermore, Thailand’s ThaiHealth has a working culture that enables it to work closely with the government sector, the public sector, and the communities, which is a strong point that MySihat intends to learn. The Thai-Malaysian counterparts have also shared their proud past works for closer cooperation on the ASEAN and international levels as ThaiHealth is...

14 years going on 15 if compared to the human age, it is like we are going on to the teenage years, full of experience, ready for the next challenges.                Since day one, ThaiHealth’s work of health promotion is seen across the country – in community, tambon, district, and provincial levels, in private organisations, government offices, and even in the country’s biggest organisational leaders and international organisations                Health care is not just the task of doctors and nurses, but it’s of everyone’s participation. No matter how advanced the medical science is, no matter how doctors are so proficient that they can transplant human head. If people care less about their own health, the advanced medical science is no good to them especially now when the country’s budget is somewhat limited.                The trend of out-of-hospital healthcare promotes preventive measures for people who do not want to frequent medical treatments or hospitals.              The issue of proactive health promotion has been raised 20 years ago in the World Health Organisation conference and it resulted in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. The charters touches big issues like worldwide health promotion, pushing many countries to constitute health-related...

                      The society is being puzzled on the public scrutiny that Thai Health Promotion Foundation is now under, following groundless accusations about ThaiHealth’s misuse of budgets. But on the other side of the puzzle, Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), has been asked by ThaiHealth to analyse the profitable returns to the society from projects equally funded by ThaiHealth and Rockefeller Foundation.                         The health issues are so large and wide that they overlap the circle of society. Obviously, health is also one of the society’s important issues. Now, the analysis has found that every 1 baht from the youth projects sponsored by ThaiHealth gives a seven-fold return to the society. Why is it so rewarding?                         It has been found that the projects relevant to youngsters sponsored by ThaiHealth have had more or less a great impact on the youth, parents, teachers, and people in the communities. Signed-up members of ThaiHealth youth projects have been found to improved their consumption of food and physical activities. While parents have been found to be happier about their children spending more quality time. The communities have had more participation in children’s activities, while youngsters...

                    When topdown control is holding the country back on all fronts, reform is only possible when state abuse can be contained by civil society, grassroots groups and the media.                     Despite the current constitution and reform brouhaha, one thing is clear. No constitution can rescue the country when it perpetuates central control via an unaccountable bureaucracy and military rule. Nor can any reform assembly pave the way toward meaningful change when it does not question persistent state efforts to clip the wings of civil society, communities and the media.                     If anyone still believes reform is possible under the military government’s tight grip, its latest attack on the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) should bring them down to earth.                     Like the Thai PBS public broadcasting service, ThaiHealth is funded by earmarked sin taxes from tobacco and alcohol. Both bodies have been under attack from the current government for misuse of public funds with veiled threats of the possibility of dissolving them.                     The question is why, and why now?                   ...

                     OVER the past 14 years, Thai Health Promotion Foundation has proved its mettle in dealing with powerful Thai and multinational tobacco giants, as well as alcoholic beverage manufacturers.                      Year after year, their multi-billion-baht interests in the lucrative Thai market have been more or less curbed by the well-intentioned efforts of several pro-health public campaigns and strategies implemented by ThaiHealth.                      That’s the key reason for its existence. Yet, allegations on the misuse of public funds to the tune of billions of baht are no less significant.                      Like all other public money, the use of 2 per cent of the so-called “sin tax” levied over an above the cigarette and alcoholic beverage taxes has to be transparent and accounted for. Over the past decade or so, ThaiHealth was given some Bt30 billion in combined tax revenue from this special levy, with a Bt4-billion provision for 2014 compared to Bt3.811 billion and Bt3.561 in 2013 and 2012, respectively.                      One criticism is that some of the money has been allocated to projects not directly...

                     Location-based campaign is the key factor of the reduction effort of tobacco consumers as it has been proven to be more directed to the target especially now when it is found that most tobacco smokers are more scattered in rural communities rather than in the big cities.                      The ThaiHealth-sponsored smoke-free province is another proactive mission aiming straight to the target group while attempting to expand its network by recruiting more partners, making the enforcement of tobacco control law farther away throughout the remaining areas. This is done by setting the common goal for each community, for the sake of the people living in the community themselves. Since the project’s kick-off in 2011, Thailand has now as many as 31 smoke-free provinces.                      The smoke-free Ubon Ratchathani project is one good example that depicts clearly an image of collaboration among all concerned organisations in the province, with the working culture that enables local staff to develop themselves by building an interlinked collaborative network from the very policy-making foundation to the policy-executioning operators. This is considered a great success of the project. As the common goal is set, the task fulfilling work becomes simple.  ...

May 18-26, 2015 – Dr Bundit Sornpaisarn, Director of Health Risk Control I Section; and Mr Rungsun Munkong, Deputy Director of Partnership and International Relations Section, represented the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) in the 68th World Health Assembly at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, as Thailand’s principal agency in charge of promoting good health and well-beingness. Participating on a regular basis, the representatives of ThaiHealth took part in the Ministry of Public Health’s Thai Global Health Technical Group (TG2) in support of two following clusters – Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Promoting Health through the Life Course. In the 68th World Health Assembly, ThaiHealth representatives took responsibility in three issues, which are Adolescents’ Health, Women’s Health, and Contribution to Social and Economic Development: Sustainable Action Across Sectors to Improve Health and Health Equity. The team also sat in six WHA side meetings, such as Road Safety, NCDs, Tobacco Warning, Adolescent Girl’s Health, and Women’s Health. Besides, ThaiHealth representatives took the opportunity of this global health forum to forge collaboration with the World Health Organisation to drive forward the global policy of physical exercises in line with ThaiHealth’s hosting of the International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health (ISPAH 2016) in Thailand, as well as other policies wuch as alcohol control, and health innovative financing.  

June 2-6, 2015 – In a preparatory move for Thailand to be the host of the 6th International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health (ISPAH 2016) in November next year, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) participated in the International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA 2015) in Edinburgh, Scotland, the United Kingdom during June 2-6, 2015, with objectives to exchange knowledge and updated information on nutrition and physical activities. The recent also event made known of several research studies about physical activities, the information supporting researches about physical activities and nutrition through several media. In addition, there was also a knowledge exchange session about physical activities and nutrition among interested academics. The information on physical activities and nutrition touched in the ISBNPA 2015 is considered more or less similar to that of the upcoming ISPAH 2016. The ThaiHealth representatives also publicised the ISPAH 2016 event among the international audience. After the main event, the ThaiHealth representatives also organised an unofficial preparatory meeting with representatives of ISPAH and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in driving forward the global policy in the future. The ISBNPA 2015 ended in fruitful results, in which the Thai participants 1) learnt about ideas, knowledge, innovation, and success stories in the support and promotion of physical activities in the international community, about ways...

                       At this day, the communication technology has taken us to the full-blown digital society. There are a wide range of high-technology devices that make our lives so practical, especially in terms of scientific advancement, and most importantly, in medicine and public health. They enable us to have good health, and good medical treatment, which lead to better human lifespan.                        While the birth rate is on the decrease, the proportion of the elderly in the society soars. The elderly in the digital era like now must be well-cared and be prepared, because the elderly care is not limited to just healthcare, but it also covers the issues of economy, society, and environment.                          The Healthy Community Network under ThaiHealth’s Healthy Community Strengthening Section, has continuously been pushing its efforts in developing the “Location-based elderly care system” with the network nationwide, by organising a workshop to develop the community health framework. With collaboration of 371 local administrative bodies from 59 provinces, ThaiHealth was prepared to leap on a proactive stance to promote good health in six aspects, which are alcohol- and accident-free community, community agriculture for food, smoke-free community, waste...

Excessive waste is not an uncommon problem in Thailand. At Tambon Khun Talae, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, a member of the Healthy Community Strengthening Section’s network, is one of the wasteless communities with a successful story. The management of waste and pollution is an important issue stated in the agreement made between ThaiHealth and local administrative bodies. Besides, ThaiHealth was also stepping forward in six aspects of health: traffic accident- and alcohol-free community, health development for child and youth, waste and pollution management, agricultural drive for community food, elderly caring development system, and cigarette-free community. The management of waste and pollution is a big problem seen not only in dense towns but in every community. If there was no appropriate waste management, an environmental problem would emerge, and would in turn affect health and livelihood of the people in community. Speaking about waste and pollution management, Mr Somporn Chaibangyang, president of the 3rd project management board, said that the promotion of well-being is a necessary issue for each community to discuss and take action. There’s a question about why the waste management is not successful in most community. The answer is that most people are still believing that the waste management is the task of the local administrative body. But in reality, we should instill the idea in each community and promote as...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stepped forward with its campaign to promote good health in the Southeast Asian region, praising Thailand’s ThaiHealth as example of a health promotion organisation with good financial and budget management by emphasising prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), controlling risk factors of alcohol, cigarette, and food, while creating physical exercises in a bid to prevent the cause of 7.9 million deaths each year. Dr Hans Troedsson, Assistant Director-General for General Management of the WHO Headquarters, said that ThaiHealth and the WHO came to an agreement on the cooperation to host Tambon-level health promotion campaigns, during the signing ceremony of the agreement which was set in parallel with the 68th WHO Regional Committee (WHO-RC) for Southeast Asia in Dili on September the 9th, 2015. The WHO saw ThaiHealth’s potential as the leader of health promotion in  international level, and the most rewarding and effective measure regarding public health management. Expressing pleasure in this new cooperation, the WHO praised ThaiHealth for its role as a knowledge-sharing organisation, for its experiences, and for its world renowned networks of partners. “ThaiHealth is the leading organisation in health promotion not only in Thailand but in the international level. This organisation has shown to the world that the sustainable and innovative financial mechanism can really make a difference. The obvious examples are...

                      ThaiHealth has praised the Northeastern province of Udon Thani as a model province to have a success in reducing teenage pregnancy by 43% in its 10 districts, by opening additional communication channels through LINE and Facebook, and a stage for discussion and for education of sexual well-being, so as to expand the campaign’s coverage in all areas of the province.                       The press conference to announce the fruitful results of the youth sexual wellbeing reinforcement project of Udon Thani, organised at Prajaktra Hotel Udon Thani on September 11, 2015, at 1000 hrs, were jointly presided over by Dr Surapong Phadungwiang, Deputy Chief of Udon Thani Public Health Office; Dr Sirikiat Liangkobkit, ThaiHealth Director of the Second Health Risk Control Section; and Mrs Pensiri Srijun, Senior Public Health Technical Officer, Deputy Chief of Udon Thani provincial Public Health Office’s Health Hazards and Disease Control Section. The event was attended by Udon Thani youths and the media corps.                       Dr Sirikiat said that ThaiHealth, by the Second Health Risk Control Section was aimed at promoting sexual wellbeing in youngsters and at prevention of teenage pregnancy, with its main coverage in 21 provinces of Thailand,...

“I’ve lost my ID card a long time ago. All of my important documents have all gone because I’m constantly moving. When I went to the town office for my new ID card, they required that I find someone who can vouch for me. To no avail, I couldn’t, because it’s been a long time since I left my hometown. Now I have several big problems especially when I go to the hospital because I’m told I don’t have the right to my healthcare. Moreover, I can’t even apply for a job because I don’t have an identity card to show that I’m a Thai citizen. Now I’m like a persona non grata. So, I would like the relevant agencies to support me of my employment,” said Visant Surasaeng, 42, about problems that clearly affect the homeless people like him. The Human Settlement Foundation of Thailand, has joined hands with ThaiHealth and Khon Kaen Provincial Office of Social Development and Human Security, to organise the 3rd “Government Meets the Homeless” in the Northeastern province of Khon Kaen, featuring a discussion on “Social Welfare of the Homeless and Concerned Policies”. The event, organised at Khon Kaen City Pillar Shrine, also included free haircut, health check-up, and ID card renewal. Mr Thanes Charanothai, representative of the homeless people’s network, said that: homeless...

What do Thailand and Thai people benefit from the new Tobacco Products Control Act? – The articles in this new draft of the act will help reduce the number of new tobacco addicts. Developed from the currently enforced act, the proposed act has been updated so that it meets with the current marketing strategies of the cigarette industry, and is expected to address the issue of limiting the youngsters’ access to cigarettes that the current law does not cover.   – The new measures in the proposed act supports the notion of no smoking, and encourages more smokers to quit smoking which eventually leads to better health. Furthermore, the government will also have to pay less to cure those suffering from diseases caused by cigarette smoking.   – All measures in the proposed act are in compliance with the international obligations under World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that is signed by 180 member countries. It is a display of government’s sincerity in its attempt to protect Thai people from the adverse effects of tobacco and second-hand smoke according to the convention’s intentions.   Probable impacts on tobacco businesses and stakeholders   – Cigarette market will remain stable or will gradually be downsized, and cigarette producers and importers will have more difficulty in expanding their markets, which shows...

BANGKOK — The minimum age to buy cigarettes in Thailand will be raised to 20 and puffers would see other tougher controls enacted under a tobacco-control bill endorsed by the Thai cabinet (May 26th 2015). In a move hailed by anti-smoking activists, the cabinet approved in principle legislation of the new Tobacco Control Act. The act aims to prevent new smokers and reduce smoking prevalence especially among adolescents. It would outlaw the sale of individual cigarettes, sponsoring social activities by tobacco manufacturers, advertising through models and social media, etc. Deputy government spokesman Major General Sansern Kaewkumnerd said yesterday the draft will be sent to the Council of State to double-check it adheres to guidelines issued by the World Health Organization, he added. The Action on Smoking and Health Foundation expressed no concerns about the decision to allow the state legal-advisory agency to review the draft, saying it was only procedural. Dr Prakit Vateesatokij, executive secretary of the foundation, said raising the age of buyers will deter youths from smoking due to the increased difficulty of accessing smokes. The National Alliance for a Tobacco-Free Thailand praised the government’s decision. “This is an important present that the prime minister has given to the youth and Thai people on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day on May 31,” said Mr Somsri Pausawasdi,...

“WORLD LUNG” ENCOURAGES THAIHEALTH TO STEP FORWARD ON PROACTIVE MEDIA CAMPAIGNS         The World Lung Foundation encourages the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) to launch more media approaches in an effort to change public behaviour, and enhance proactive health promotion endeavour.         ThaiHealth welcomed a delegation of representatives from the World Lung Foundation, led by Mr Stephen Hamill, Director of Advocacy and Communications; Mrs Sandra Mullin, Senior Vice President for Policy and Communications; and Mrs Mego Lien, Programs Manager for Policy and Communications. The two health counterparts participated in a joint workshop with ThaiHealth’s Marketing Communications Office to exchange information on creations of campaign media approaches to convince the Thai society to improve their health risk behaviours.           Regarding strategic communication campaigns, Mrs Sandra Mullin said that ThaiHealth should, firstly, create their media campaign to reflect the true understanding about each problem or issue and communicate directly to the targeted group. Secondly, despite limited budget and resources, it should consider using the most appropriate communication channels in return for maximised results.           “The message included in the campaign should be simple but direct, in order to efficiently attract the targeted audience to realise the matter. This step can be concluded only when we have complete understanding...

ThaiHealth to host first international congress on physical activity and health in Asia – Aims to increase physical activity by 80% and reduce child obesity by 10% nationwide rn rnOn the 21st Nov 2014, at ThaiHealth Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), Dr. Fiona Bull, president of The International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH), stated that ISPAH’s strategies are to promote physical activity for better health, to exchange knowledge, and to advocate policy development to increase physical activity and reduce obesity and other NCDs. At present, there are 42 member states to the society. Since its foundation, ISPAH, together with its member states, has been hosting the International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health biannually. So far, 5 congresses were held in big cities around the world, including Toronto, Sydney, and Rio de Janeiro. One of the most important goals of ISPAH is to build a network which encompasses a wide range of professions such as researchers, policy makers, and advocators, in order to support the member states on their work towards the promotion of physical activity globally.  ThaiHealth, as a representative of Thailand, received a warm welcome from ISPAH, when it joined the society in 2010. And as ThaiHealth has played an important role in mobilizing partnerships to promote physical activity and health in Thailand, the ISPAH committee strongly...

On the 28th January 2015, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) was visited by participants of Prince Mahidol Award Conference 2015, which was held from the 29th to 31st January 2015. The Prince Mahidol Award Conference (PMAC) is an annual international conference focusing on policy-related health issues of global significance. The conference is hosted by the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation, the Thai Ministry of Public Health, Mahidol University and other global partners. It is an international policy forum that Global Health Institutes, both public and private, can co-own and use for advocacy and for seeking international perspectives on important global health issues. The Conference this year was co-hosted by the Prince Mahidol Award Conference, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, U.S. Agency for International Development, Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Rockefeller Foundation, China Medical Board, and Chatham House with the support from other key related partners. The conference’s theme this year was “Global Health Post 2015: Accelerating Equity.” Participants were among world leaders from many countries around the world. Prior to the conference, on the 28th January, the participants were able to choose to visit one among six fields. ThaiHealth was honored to be one of the six sites, chosen to visit by 34 participants, including representatives from public agencies, international organizations, academia, from...

Bangkok—19 July 2012 : the Southeast Asia Initiative on Tobacco Tax (SITT)/SEATCA in cooperation with Health Justice, Philippines and Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) organized a two-day study visit for the Philippines, specifically, for the executive and legislative branches of government.  The meetings were held to learn from Thailand’s pioneering experience on Health promotion, its’ mechanisms, lessons and best practices.  It also helped facilitate exchange of information on Universal Health Care systems in the region and international movement, and roles of countries on the growing threat of NCD’s. Discussions and planning on how to utilize sin taxes in the Philippines based on Thailand’s lessons were also held.   Dr. Krissada Raungarreerat, CEO of Thaihealth welcomed the group, and briefly presented an overview of Thaihealth’s work. Prof. Dr. Prakit Vathesatogkit, Secretary General of the International Network of Health Promotion Foundations (INHPF), shared his experience in the field of Health promotions the past ten years, and why countries must establish a Health Promotion Fund.   Other speakers were, Dr. Supreda Adulyanon, Deputy CEO of Thaihealth, Dr. Weerawat Phankrut and Dr. Yongyuth Pongsupap, of the National Health Security Office (NHSO), Dr. Suwit Wibulpolprasert, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Public Health, and Ms. Jintana Jankhotkaew, from CAPS.   Assistant Secretary of the Department for Health, Philippines, Dr. Paulyn Ubial expressed appreciation on behalf of the...