Alliance for Reclaiming the Right to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention consists of organizations, groups, and networks working on human rights, equality, child and youth well-being, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, Thai labor, state enterprises, HIV-positive individuals, service workers, labor organizations, and health service providers, totaling 130 organizations. We recognize that for Thai citizens to have good health, the state should provide health services in all four areas: 1) health promotion, 2) disease prevention, 3) medical treatment, and 4) health rehabilitation, covering all 66.3 million people without discrimination. The health rights of those not covered by the universal health coverage card include social security rights, civil servant rights, state enterprise, local, and other rights, covering approximately 20 million people, only in terms of medical treatment. The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has thus relied on the Cabinet’s resolution each year to allocate budgets for health promotion, disease prevention, and health rehabilitation that are missing in other health rights to cover all Thais.
As the NHSO, through the National Health Policy Board, approved on July 4, 2022, the proposal of criteria and operations for managing the National Health Security Fund (NHSO) for the fiscal year 2023, related to 1) health promotion and disease prevention services, 2) HIV infection prevention, 3) public health services for dependent individuals in the community, and 4) public health services in collaboration with local administrative organizations, these rights have protected Thais for over 20 years. However, in the fiscal year 2023, the legal advisor to the Minister of Public Health objected that NHSO should not have the authority to oversee rights other than the universal health coverage card group, resulting in these services covering only 47 million Thais with the universal health coverage card. Those with health rights outside the universal health coverage card, covering civil servants, government employees, state enterprise employees, independent organization employees, public organization employees, Bangkok and Pattaya city employees, as well as the private sector under social security system sections 33 and 39, such as private company employees, factories, shops, restaurants, department stores, and others, who previously received health promotion and disease prevention services in these four areas, are affected in accessing these services.
The Alliance for Reclaiming the Right to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, on behalf of those affected by the loss of health rights, believes that health promotion and disease prevention are “health rights” that citizens receive from everyone’s tax money, beyond medical treatment rights. It is the government’s duty to allocate these to all citizens without discrimination. If health promotion and disease prevention mechanisms cannot be equally accessible to all Thais, Thailand may enter a cycle of severe health problems in the near future.
The Alliance for Reclaiming the Right to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention has therefore organized activities to raise awareness and reclaim health rights on March 9, 2023. The activities are divided into two parts: an academic seminar and a press conference in the morning at Room 709, National Human Rights Commission Office. After that, an open letter will be submitted to the Secretary-General of the NHSO, and a visit will be made to the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters to submit a letter demanding the restoration of rights to cover all Thais.
Schedule for the Academic Seminar, Press Conference, and Submission of Open Letter on “Restoring the Right to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for All Thais” Thursday, March 9, 2023, 09:00-16:00 at Meeting Room 709, National Human Rights Commission Office National Health Security Office and Bhumjaithai Party headquarters organized by the Alliance for Reclaiming the Right to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for All Thais in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission
09:30 – 09:45 Opening Remarks by the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission
09:45 – 11:30 Academic Seminar on “Restoring the Right to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for All Thais” Moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kritaya Archavanitkul, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University
1. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Rights and Issues in the Fiscal Year 2023 by Mr. Nimit Tienudom, Member of the National Health Security Board
2. Impact of Cutting Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Rights for Non-Universal Health Coverage Card Groups by Mr. Tasanai Khantayakorn, Representative of the Unplanned Pregnancy Network and RSA Volunteer Network
3. What Do Those Who Lost Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Rights Think? by Ms. Apantree Charoensak, Vice President of the Thai Labor Solidarity Committee
4. Solutions for Ensuring All Thais Access Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Rights by the Secretary-General of the National Health Security Office or representative
11:30 – 12:30 Press Conference “Restoring the Right to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for All Thais” by the Alliance for Reclaiming the Right to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for All Thais
13:30 – 14:00 Alliance Representatives Submit an Open Letter to the Secretary-General of the NHSO at the National Health Security Office
15:00 – 16:00 Alliance Representatives for Reclaiming the Right to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for All Thais Submit an Open Letter Demanding the Restoration of Rights to Cover All Thais at the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters
Live broadcast of activities throughout the day on the Facebook pages Unplanned Pregnancy Network and RSATHAI
List of Alliance for Reclaiming the Right to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention