Border health protects us all
Strong border health systems are essential to protect everyone’s health. Population movement, infectious diseases and public health emergencies do not stop at national borders. Investing in accessible, resilient and people-centred health services in border areas helps protect both Thai and non-Thai communities, reduce health inequities, and strengthen national and regional health security.
Border health extends beyond communicable disease control. It depends on resilient health systems, effective disease surveillance, a capable health workforce, emergency preparedness, operational research, sustainable financing and cooperation across borders. Coordination among national and local authorities, communities and partners is central to making these systems work.
Along Thailand’s borders, health systems operate in complex and changing political, social, economic and humanitarian contexts. They must respond to diverse populations while maintaining essential services, surveillance, vaccination, referral systems and preparedness for public health threats.
A changing border health landscape
Thailand currently hosts 80 155 verified refugees from Myanmar across 9 temporary shelters, based on the 2023 joint verification by the Ministry of Interior and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Mae La Temporary Shelter in Tak Province is the largest, with 29 134 residents.
As Thailand moves towards more sustainable, nationally anchored services, local health systems are taking on greater responsibilities. Health-care services in seven of the nine temporary shelters are now delivered through Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) district hospitals [1], as part of the ongoing transition following reductions in humanitarian health assistance. To support this transition, WHO, with support from development partners, notably the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is helping strengthen primary health-care capacity within the shelters through the provision of medical equipment and supplies, support for health workers, and efforts to sustain essential services such as vaccination, maternal and child health and preventive care, while helping reduce pressure on referral hospitals.
The transition from humanitarian assistance towards more sustainable, government-led health service delivery creates important opportunities to strengthen national and local health systems. But it also brings significant challenges. Discussions during the Tak mission highlighted health workforce sustainability, financing, legal documentation for health workers and continuity of essential services.
Government leadership and stronger nationally anchored systems are central to long-term sustainability. At the same time, given the scale and complexity of border health needs, continued international support remains crucial during the transition, including helping sustain essential services, technical capacity, coordination and financing.
Strengthening local health facilities, workforce capacity, referral systems and service delivery can therefore benefit displaced, migrant and host communities while contributing to stronger and more resilient national health systems.
/countries/thailand/ms-aree-in-the-tak-mission.jpeg?sfvrsn=6c6e77de_2 "Ms Aree in the Tak mission")
Photo credit: WHO Thailand
Partnership in practice in Tak Province
Strengthening border health requires coordinated action across national and local authorities, communities and international partners.
/countries/thailand/moph-and-who-conducted-a-joint-mission-to-tak-province.jpeg?sfvrsn=5e7a1b19_2 "MOPH and WHO conducted a joint mission to Tak province")
Photo credit: WHO Thailand
From 17 to 19 June 2026, the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and WHO conducted a joint mission to Tak Province. The mission reviewed the evolving border health context, progress and challenges in health service delivery, and opportunities to strengthen cooperation during the transition from humanitarian assistance to longer-term health systems development.
Led by Dr Sopon Iamsirithaworn, Deputy Permanent Secretary, MOPH, together with Dr Ailan Li, WHO Representative to Thailand, the mission connected national and provincial health leaders with frontline health workers, communities, United Nations (UN) agencies and development partners.
/countries/thailand/dr-sopon-and-dr-ailan-in-the-mission-connected-national-and-provincial-health-leaders.jpg?sfvrsn=d559a203_2 "Dr Sopon and Dr Ailan in the mission connected national and provincial health leaders")
Photo credit: WHO Thailand
/countries/thailand/dr-ailan-during-the-mission-at-tak-province.jpeg?sfvrsn=c8b04f29_2 "Dr Ailan during the mission at Tak province")
Photo credit: WHO Thailand
/countries/thailand/dr-ailan-visited-border-hospital.jpg?sfvrsn=aec8cad9_4 "Dr Ailan visited border hospital")
Photo credit: WHO Thailand
/countries/thailand/mae-la-temporary-shelter-advocaies-01.jpeg?sfvrsn=9654576_2 "Mae La Temporary Shelter advocaies 01")
/countries/thailand/mae-la-temporary-shelter-advocaies-02.jpeg?sfvrsn=b85aeb99_2 "Mae La Temporary Shelter advocaies 02")
Photo credit: WHO Thailand
The mission included Dr Nakarin Somabut, Provincial Chief Medical Officer of Tak; Dr Phuchong Chaichin, Director of the Strategy and Planning Division; Dr Vichan Bunkitikorn, Director of the Division of Epidemiology; and Dr Thawatchai Yingtaweesak, Director of Tha Song Yang Hospital, alongside directors of border hospitals and provincial health officials. Ms Tammi L. Sharpe, UNHCR Representative in Thailand, and UNHCR colleagues also joined the mission at Mae La Temporary Shelter, to engage with the community and learn about the evolving health-service context in the shelter.
/countries/thailand/discussions-during-the-tak-mission.jpeg?sfvrsn=c70bf35d_2 "Discussions during the Tak mission")
Photo credit: WHO Thailand
Discussions during the Tak mission highlighted health workforce sustainability, financing, legal documentation for health workers and continuity of essential services, particularly maternal, newborn and child health.
Strengthening systems through collaboration
Thailand has decades of experience and sustained efforts in border health. The mission highlighted the importance of building on this foundation as health services along the border undergo an important transition—strengthening local health systems, sustaining the health workforce and financing, and ensuring continuity of essential services.
The Tak Border Health Learning Center also plays an important role in strengthening capacity, sharing operational experience and supporting learning and cooperation on border health.
Border health is complex, and no single institution can address it alone. Strong collaboration – from communities and local authorities to national and international partners – is essential to protect health and strengthen health security
, said Dr Li.
But resilient border health systems depend not only on institutions and services. They also depend on the people and communities who identify needs, build trust and connect people with care. At Mae La, one classroom shows what this looks like in practice.
Inside a classroom at Mae La
Inside Mae La Temporary Shelter, a group of teachers is learning to recognize something that cannot always be seen.
Led by “Jimmy”, Ms Nisita Tasuwan, M.N.S., RN, a Senior Professional Level Registered Nurse and Mental Health Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) at Tha Song Yang Hospital, teachers are learning to recognize early signs of anxiety, depression and emotional distress among adolescents living in displacement, and to connect students with appropriate care before concerns escalate.
/countries/thailand/the-training-at-tha-song-yang-hospital.jpeg?sfvrsn=90e497d5_2 "The training at Tha Song Yang Hospital")
Photo credit: WHO Thailand
The training, delivered under Tha Song Yang Hospital’s Angel Teacher (Khru Nang Fah) initiative, equips secondary school teachers to use a standardized mental health screening tool and referral pathway linking schools with the camp’s Mental Health Centre and district health services.[3]
Evidence from schools elsewhere in Tha Song Yang District helped shape this approach. In an earlier study involving 30 dormitory teachers across seven schools, 55 students were identified with moderate depression and a further 12 with more severe depression; none had previously received care. After the teachers were trained, all students assessed as high risk were referred for care. The findings also highlighted the need for broader teacher training and continued support, helping inform the local development of the Angel Teacher model. These figures are from schools outside Mae La Temporary Shelter and are included as contextual evidence for the initiative.[2]
For Nisita, the lesson extends far beyond mental health.
The challenges these young people face do not begin in the classroom
, she explained.
Many families live with the long-term effects of conflict and displacement. Financial pressures can make it difficult for some students to travel within the camp or seek specialized care outside it. Health needs may include conditions requiring referral, substance use, and psychological distress associated with prolonged uncertainty and displacement. Like many services across the border area, the camp’s health system relies heavily on dedicated community health workers and displaced volunteers caring for one another despite increasingly limited resources.
Communities as part of the solution
The classroom at Mae La illustrates why community engagement matters. Teachers, health workers, volunteers and families are not simply recipients of services – they are part of the health system itself, helping identify needs early, build trust and connect people with appropriate care.
Across the temporary shelters, community structures and volunteer networks remain important to continuity of services, participation and social cohesion as communities develop closer links with national health systems and services.
/countries/thailand/the-classroom-at-tha-song-yang-hospital.jpeg?sfvrsn=4f218863_2 "The classroom at Tha Song Yang Hospital")
Photo credit: WHO Thailand
The classroom is also a reminder that health is shaped by much more than health care alone. Mental health, education, livelihoods, social protection and community resilience are closely interconnected. When one system comes under pressure, the effects are felt across many others. Strengthening border health therefore requires communities and different sectors to be part of the solution.
This community dimension is particularly important during the humanitarian-to-development transition. Strong national systems and strong community networks are complementary: both are needed to ensure that services remain accessible, trusted and responsive to the needs of different populations.
Looking beyond borders
The lesson from Mae La extends far beyond one classroom or one border province. It provides a glimpse of border health in practice – government, health workers, communities and partners working together to protect health while adapting to a rapidly changing environment.
/countries/thailand/supporting-equitable-access-to-health-services-for-migrants-and-other-populations.jpeg?sfvrsn=d7c5a486_2 "Supporting equitable access to health services for migrants and other populations")
Photo credit: WHO Thailand
The joint mission reaffirmed a shared commitment from MOPH, provincial authorities, UN agencies and development partners to resilient and sustainable border health systems. Thailand’s experience can also support regional learning through stronger institutional collaboration, knowledge sharing and long-term health systems development.
Thailand has demonstrated strong leadership and valuable experience in border health. WHO is committed to working alongside Thailand and our partners to build on this experience, strengthen health security and share lessons that can benefit the region and beyond
, said Dr Li.
WHO will continue to work alongside MOPH and local health authorities in strengthening partnerships on complex border health issues; advancing implementation of the WHO–JICA project; strengthening coordination and collaboration with UN partners, including UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). This work will support equitable access to health services for migrants and other populations in vulnerable situations while advancing a One WHO approach to cross-border health security, particularly with the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia.
Partnership for advancing health security
Border health challenges cannot be addressed by one institution, sector or country alone.
Building sustainable border health systems requires continued cooperation among government, local health authorities, communities, civil society, UN agencies and development partners. It also requires sustained investment in the foundations of resilient health systems – health workers, surveillance, emergency preparedness, financing, local service capacity and trusted community networks.
/countries/thailand/who-remains-committed-to-supporting-moph-and-working-alongside-partners.jpeg?sfvrsn=65572932_2 "WHO remains committed to supporting MOPH and working alongside partners")
Photo credit: WHO Thailand
WHO remains committed to supporting MOPH and working alongside UNHCR, IOM, OHCHR, JICA, provincial health authorities, communities and other partners to strengthen border health security, safeguard continuity of essential services for populations in vulnerable situations[ON2.1] and advance sustainable, government-led approaches to border health and humanitarian transition. Government leadership, community engagement and sustained international cooperation are all critical to this transition.
Investing in border health protects people on both sides of a border, strengthens national health security and creates valuable knowledge and experience that can benefit the wider region[ON3.1]. Above all, it helps ensure that everyone can access the care they need, wherever they live.
References
[1] United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Towards Sustainable Solutions for Refugees in Thailand: Appeal – June 2026–December 2030, pp. 2 and 12
[2] Angel Teacher Project, Tha Song Yang Hospital, Tak Province, Thailand (2023–present)
[3] "Effect of a training and support programme for teachers on the management of depression among secondary-school students living in school dormitories, Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province." Tak Provincial Public Health Academic Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1 (January-April 2024) [Thai].