The state of health in Thailand
Thailand has a long history of health development, and a well-developed healthcare system. People in Thailand have a higher life expectancy compared to other countries in Southeast Asia, amounting to approximately 70 years. Despite the developments in healthcare, there are still some continuing population health issues. Significant infectious diseases in Thailand include dengue fever, malaria, and tuberculosis. In terms of nutrition-related health issues, diabetes is prevalent in the country due to high sugar consumption, and the number of diabetic patients has gradually risen over the years. Cancer is also one of the most commonly-occurring diseases in Thailand. In 2019, there were around three thousand new cancer patients in Thailand, with females making up the majority of such patients. With regards to children’s health, Thailand has brought down the mortality rate for children under 5 years through its vaccination policies and medical checkups.Healthcare infrastructure in Thailand
The central government in Thailand has funded the development of an extensive healthcare infrastructure outside the urban areas. Thailand’s healthcare system is driven by the area health (AH) mechanism, also known as health districts, totaling to 12 AHs excluding Bangkok. The AH mechanism, in which one area health covers three to six provinces, thus provides comprehensive healthcare to Thai people living in non-urban areas.The healthcare system is supported by its medical personnel, with almost 40 thousand doctors and more than 173 thousand professional nurses in 2019. Furthermore, the medical device market in Thailand is relatively large. Since the government has been promoting Thailand as a medical hub, it was forecasted that the sales value of medical devices would also increase in the new few years.
