WHO presents to Thailand "Public Health Achievements" award

BANGKOK, September 7 (TNA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised Thailand for having successfully eradicated the elephantiasis disease and will soon present the Public Health Achievements award for the Kingdom. Vice Minister for Public Health Dr. Thawat Suntarajarn told journalists of the information in Bangkok on September 6, noting that WHO is scheduled to present the award to Thailand at the Seventieth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia (RC70), held in Maldives during September 6-10. Speaking to the journalists prior to his Wednesday's departure to Malé, Dr. Thawat said that he has been assigned to lead a Thai delegation to attend the RC70 in the capital of Maldives on behalf of Public Health Minister Dr. Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn. Dr. Thawat revealed that the five-day RC70 is aimed to discuss and work out policies on public health cooperation for the Southeast Asian region, covering the management of budget, integrated public health plans of WHO member countries in Southeast Asia and regional public health operational approaches and mechanisms in order to comply with the resolutions of the WHO Assembly in mid-2017. According to the vice minister, he will also receive, on behalf of Thailand, the honorable Public Health Achievements award, presented by WHO for the Thai Kingdom's success in eradicating the elephantiasis disease. The vice minister acknowledged that all sectors in Thailand have worked together for over 10 years to eradicate the elephantiasis disease through steady surveillant measures and medication in areas at risk, including border zones, without any discrimination against different races, resulting in the successful eradication of the disease. The vice minister attributed the success in the eradication of the elephantiasis disease partly to local community development programs under the Pikun Thong Education Center, a royal project initiated by Thailand's late His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The vice minister stated that the Thai delegation is also scheduled to attend the WHO Ministerial Roundtable Meeting, themed "Building Health Systems Resilience to Climate Change", during which Thailand's GREEN & CLEAN Hospital Program and the First National Public Health Strategic Plan Against Climate Change 2017-2030 will also be presented. Participating WHO member countries in the ongoing five-day RC70 include Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor Leste. (TNA)