Thai Pandemic Centre Gets Nod

24 August 2022 -

Thailand has been chosen by the ASEAN Member States to establish an ASEAN Secretariat Office for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases. According to the public health permanent secretary, Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit, the unit will serve as a centre of excellence and hub to strengthen ASEAN’s capability to handle public health emergencies and emerging diseases.

The project passed a feasibility study in 2020, which was supported by the Japanese government through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). Last year, Tokyo also injected a further US$50 million (1.8 billion baht) towards the final stage of establishing a permanent facility in a chosen country.