Thailand pushes NCDs law as over 1,000 die daily from chronic diseases
BANGKOK: Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin on Monday (June 16) chaired a meeting at the Ministry of Public Health to advance the national action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for 2023–2027. He emphasised that the government is committed to tackling NCDs, which are a major cause of premature death, illness and disability, and pose a significant threat to national productivity and economic development.
Thailand records more than 400,000 NCD-related deaths annually, averaging over 1,000 per day, accounting for 81 per cent of total deaths. These are driven by behavioural, environmental and metabolic risk factors. The Ministry said national strategies and measures to reduce NCDs require cross-sector collaboration to empower people to manage their own health.
The committee approved the nationwide 'Slim Down, Stop NCDs' policy, aligning with each agency's mission. The aim is to reduce premature deaths and the associated economic burden on individuals, families, society and the nation. A sub-committee will also be established to oversee the implementation of the 2023–2027 national action plan for NCD prevention and control, ensuring concrete progress.
Dr Panumas Yanawetsakul, Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, noted that Thailand is aligned with nine global NCD reduction targets. The likelihood of premature death from NCDs has declined slightly, from 14.8 per cent in 2010 to 14.6 per cent in 2022. The target for 2025 is 11.07 per cent.
Other indicators showing slight improvement include per capita alcohol consumption, average annual sodium intake and smoking prevalence. However, several key indicators remain off-track, such as the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity. These issues present challenges that require support from all ministries, the private sector, and civil society.
To strengthen the national response, the Department of Disease Control has developed a three-pronged strategy as part of the 2023–2027 NCD action plan:
1. Smart NCD Network – Integrate partnerships across all sectors to manage NCDs.
2. NCD Health Literacy – Raise awareness, build understanding, and promote healthy behaviours nationwide.
3. NCD Ecosystem – Create enabling environments through collaboration between the state, private sector, local communities, and the public to support healthy lifestyles and self-care.
The Ministry has also drafted the Non-Communicable Diseases Act, designed to protect and promote the health of individuals affected by or at risk of developing NCDs. The draft has undergone public consultation and is now being reviewed by the Public Health Minister before being submitted to the Cabinet and later the National Assembly for consideration.
Dr Jos Vandelaer, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative to Thailand, stated that NCDs are a major global health burden that requires urgent attention and collaborative management. He emphasised that these diseases are largely preventable through national-level policies that protect the public from key risk factors—such as reducing tobacco use and alcohol consumption, promoting physical activity and encouraging healthy diets.
He stressed the need for strong political leadership and policy coherence across ministries to ensure effective NCD prevention and control, noting that inter-ministerial coordination is essential for success.
Somkiat Pitakkamolporn, Assistant Secretary-General of the National Health Commission, said the NCD Ecosystem approach involves working across sectors beyond health to support behaviour change and create environments conducive to good health.
He noted that the National Health Commission meeting had endorsed a specific health assembly resolution on fostering physical and social environments to reduce NCDs. The resolution outlines the development of five supporting systems and mechanisms that will enable five core prevention and control measures.
These measures are underpinned by three key principles:
Behavioural economics
Fiscal mechanisms
Social credit systems
The framework is now being submitted to the Cabinet for approval, aligned with Thailand's 2023–2027 national NCD prevention and control action plan.
In parallel, pilot projects have been launched in four regions across eight provinces to localise and implement issue-specific assemblies. These aim to create actionable, community-led measures to reduce the burden of NCDs nationwide. - The Nation/ANN
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