World Health Organization praised Thailand for its effective response to COVID-19 outbreak

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu recently wrote to Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to express his gratitude for his leadership on the Universal Health and Preparedness Review (UHPR).

The letter also commended Thailand for its response to the COVID-19 issue and noted that it was among the first nations to implement the UHPR strategy for public health crises.

The head of the WHO praised several of Thailand’s vital resources that were essential in protecting the country’s population and aiding its citizens throughout the epidemic. Among these were the implementation of strong national policies, the upkeep of an efficient public healthcare and health insurance system staffed by caring professionals, the development of novel methods for improving health, and the encouragement of cross-sectoral collaboration among government, business, and civil society.

In his report to the World Health Assembly (WHA), Dr. Tedros praised the positive response he received from WHO members when he presented Thailand’s results. Thailand is currently being used as an example by the WHO as a blueprint for how to deal with new infectious illnesses.

Based on findings from the UHPR effort, the WHO is revising its technical package in collaboration with the WHO Technical Advisory Group, which will propose changes to streamline and enhance the organization’s operations.

According to Minister Anutin, the effects of covid-19 demonstrate that the international community was unprepared for a pandemic of this scale. Lack of investment in financial resources to respond to the epidemic is a contributing factor. Health system investment, health security, and universal health coverage were the primary topics of discussion at the 12th APEC High-Level Meeting on Health and Economy, leading to consensus on how to achieve a more harmonious relationship between health and the economy. Key components in future epidemic management include vaccine research and digital health technologies.