A longtime leader in health

Since 1985, dedicated to improving health in the Mekong region

For more than 25 years, PATH’s country program in Thailand has been a leader in improving health in the Mekong region, with a special focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and adolescent health.

During the emergence of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, we provided HIV-prevention training to factory workers and crucial information to health care providers. Now, along with PATH’s programs in Vietnam and Cambodia, our staff in Thailand continues to develop innovative behavior change interventions and to promote equal access to services for young and disadvantaged people. 

A particularly important aspect of our work is promoting public-private partnerships in delivery of health services. We pioneered projects to improve the skills of pharmacy and drugstore personnel—often the first and sometimes the only health care providers people see. Our projects have served as a model for programs in Cambodia, Vietnam, Kenya, and Nicaragua.

In addition, we work with private clinics to deliver high-quality, youth-friendly reproductive health services. We build skills of private clinic staff to deliver services, including screening for cervical cancer, to people with no regular access to health care.

A focus on youth, migrants, and health system strengthening

Over the years, we have collaborated with many partners to develop and implement a range of public health programming. Our projects in Thailand have focused on:

• Reaching adolescents through innovative activities such as online games, websites, and social media.
• Improving health and quality of life for migrants and their families through an integrated approach that addresses prevention of communicable diseases and maternal and child health, among other issues.
• Working in partnership with the Ministry of Education to implement reproductive health and sex education in schools and conduct other activities focused on the well-being of young people.
• Building the skills of youth leaders to help them advocate for health information and services targeted to young people and promote safer and more responsible behavior among their peers.

 Banner photo: Natawit Thani.