WHO urges government to safeguard ThaiHealth funding, health taxes
The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging the government to ensure that any changes to the Thai Health Promotion Foundation’s (ThaiHealth) funding mechanism preserve stable, long-term financing for health promotion and the public health benefits of tobacco and alcohol taxation.
The call came as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party proposed replacing earmarked tax revenue with annual budget allocations for ThaiHealth, Thai PBS, the Older Persons Fund and the National Sports Development Fund.
In an open letter to Anutin, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for sustainable, predictable funding for ThaiHealth’s health promotion and disease prevention work.
He also urged the government to maintain the overall tax burden on tobacco and alcohol products to safeguard their public health benefits.
“These taxes are important public health measures that help reduce consumption and associated harms while generating public revenue,” Ghebreyesus wrote.
He praised Thailand’s longstanding leadership in tackling major public health challenges, including the harmful effects of tobacco and alcohol.
He also described ThaiHealth as an internationally recognised model for sustained investment in health promotion and disease prevention.
The foundation received the 2021 Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion in recognition of its contributions to the field, he noted.
Ghebreyesus said experience in Thailand and other countries showed that well-designed investment in prevention could deliver substantial health, social and economic benefits.
He also cited the WHO’s “3 by 35” initiative, which encourages countries to increase the real prices of tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks through taxation measures tailored to national circumstances.
The initiative seeks to use taxation to discourage consumption of products that contribute to non-communicable diseases and other health problems.
Ghebreyesus said Thailand’s continued leadership in health promotion and disease prevention was highly valued. He expressed confidence that the government would sustain long-term investment in prevention while preserving the public health benefits of effective taxation.
The WHO stands ready to provide evidence, technical advice and international experience to support the government’s deliberations, he added.
Main photo: WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus