WHO awarded Thailand’s the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion

World Health Organization announced the Thai Health Promotion Foundation the 2021 Nelson Mandela Award laureate.

In recognition to the globally-renown human right icon born in South Africa, the award is given to a person, institution, governmental or nongovernmental organization who or which has/have made a significant contribution to health promotion.

Announced during the 74th World Health Assembly, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation has been instrumental in advancing health promotion in Thailand and globally over the past 20 years. Pursuant to the Thai Health Promotion Foundation Act (2001), the objectives of the Foundation include: to promote health among Thai people of all ages in accordance with national health policy; to reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; to develop community capacity in health promotion; and to carry out studies and research and develop knowledge on health promotion.

Speaking during the live telecast of the World Health Assembly, South Africa’s Minister of Health Zwelini Mkhize praised Thai Health for making a significant contribution to health promotion by staying true to its core mission of being agents of equality in access to health so that all people living in Thailand would have capacity and live in society and environment conducive to good health.

“The Nelson Mandel Award most fits for Thai Health Promotion Foundation to receive this recognition. Our revered Madiba once said quoted “Health cannot be a question of income. It is a fundamental human right.”

“This organisation implements its important work through health promotion in communities and occupational setting. By supporting initiatives, targeted vulnerable population, and through strategic multisectoral collaboration. Their initiatives have touched millions of lives in Thailand and around the world for over two decades. The principles adopted by ThaiHealth resonate profoundly with the ideas of universal health coverage and advance the sustainable development goals at target. We together as a global community build resilient health care system,” he said.

ThaiHealth manager Dr Supreeda Adulyanon addressed to the assembly, “This award is a tribute to our health promotion efforts, taking place around the world every single day. It is also a testament of the health promotion movement in Thailand.”

For two decades, ThaiHealth has served as a key innovative enabler of sustainable health and well being. Utilising the surcharge alcohol and tobacco excise tax, ThaiHealth currently support up to 4,000 projects each year. In collaboration with partners across all sectors of the society, the movement has contributed to the changes including the introduction of hundreds of pro-health policies and laws, a shift of social norm towards more healthy and inclusive society the propogation of effective model for innovative health financing and multisectoral platform for health promotion and the ability to react quickly to emerging needs including COVID-19 responses.

ThaiHealth uses its innovative and sustainable funds to strategically support over 2000 health promotion programmes and projects per year across 15 “plans” or strategic priority areas. These include issue-related initiatives, such as tobacco and alcohol control, road safety and disaster management, healthy diet and the promotion of physical activity.

The foundation supports WHO’s healthy settings approach, such as health promotion in communities, workplaces, schools and families. It also supports initiatives targeted at vulnerable populations, and collaboration between the health sector and other sectors that have a huge impact on health. The achievements of these initiatives are wide ranging, including: the introduction of many pro-health initiatives and laws, including the Thailand Alcohol Control Act (2008) and the establishment of a ThaiHealth happy workplace model, which has now been adopted in over 2000 public and private organizations; shifting social norms towards more inclusive principles in which their initiatives helped over 5000 people with disabilities secure employment in 2017–2020; and leading in promoting an effective model for innovative health financing, which has seen over 20, 000 multisectoral partners joining the Foundation in strategic action for health promotion.

“Going forward, Thai Health will still motivated and community to strengthen our contribution to effectively enable sustainable health and wellbeing for all,” Dr Supreeda said.