Thailand

Population:

●      66,5340,000 (2020 projection) [1]

●      Infant mortality rate: 6.5 per 1,000 live births (2020) [1]

Economics:

●      An upper-middle income country with a national GDP of nearly $505 billion USD [2]

●      Per capita GDP of $7,274, with a slight increase in the poverty rate in recent years [2]

Politics:

●      A constitutional monarchy; the king and royal family are widely revered but have little practical authority [3]

●      Military coup in 2014 followed by general elections in 2019, but the military still exerts de facto control over politics; low rankings for freedom indicators [3]

Sources:

  1. Mahidol University Institute for Population and Social Research, “Population of Thailand, 2020”

  2. Macrotrends, “Thailand”

  3. Nordea Trade, “The political framework of Thailand” (2020)

HEALTHCARE

Universal healthcare program instituted in 2001, and was quickly recognized as one of world’s best

●      “30 Baht” program gave all people universal access to facilities across country for a co-pay of roughly $0.75 USD, financed the public hospital system with a fixed per capita budget of ~$30 USD

●      Poor Thais had fees waived, but suppliers were still paid

Lowered costs allowed more Thais to access healthcare, leading to a sharp drop in infant mortality rate

●      Women, especially those who were poor, had greater benefits from the 30 Baht program than the general population, due to their more frequent use of healthcare services.

●      Research suggests that aggregate infant mortality rate dropped 13-30% between 2000 -2002.

Source for all stats:

  1. American Economics Journal: Applied Economics, “The Great Equalizer: Health Care Access and Infant Mortality in Thailand” (2013)


ONGOING ISSUES

Underpopulation projected in the near future [1]

Labor shortages [1]

Changing family structures [1]

Significant inequality across the country [2]

Technological disruption and job loss [2]

Climate change (destroying both food crops and livelihoods) [2]

OBSERVED SOLUTIONS

Collaborative educational campaigns from government and NGOs, drawing on thousands of volunteer community health workers (CHWs) [1]

●      Previously used to counter public health issues like AIDS and unwanted pregnancies. [1]

●      Campaigns used humorous marketing.

●      Trained community advocates to distribute supplies (e.g. contraception) and spread health awareness. [1]

Government program “Thailand, A Hub of Wellness and Medical Services” aims to spur job creation by supporting medical tech startups [2]

●      The program seeks to move Thailand from consumer to producer of tech innovation. [2]

●      Aside from increasing the country’s export revenue, this would also lower the costs of healthcare as the ageing local populations puts additional stress on the system. [2]

Social support and quality of life programs operated by CHWs

●      Modeled on a successful program for stroke survivors in Thai villages.

●      A study showed that trained CHWs could provide services that help with community integration and improve general quality of life.

Sources:

  1. Center for Health Market Innovations, “Population and Community Development Association” (2020)

  2. Asian Hospital and Healthcare Management, “Can Thailand a medtech innovator instead of a medtech customer?” (2019)

  3. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, “Community Integration and Quality of Life: Stroke Survivors as Recipients of Rehabilitation by Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) in Thailand” (2020)

KEY QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION

How can population issues be addressed as family size steadily decreases due to previous, successful attempts to limit growth?

Is there a correlation between having a female prime minister and a reduction in infant mortality rates?

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