Malaria in Thailand is not as prevalent as it once was, but it still poses a significant public health concern, particularly in provinces bordering Western neighboring countries where outbreaks still occur. The solution to this issue requires cooperation from all sectors, especially the residents of the infected areas.
The Thai Ministry of Public Health has thus upgraded its measures to manage the outbreak in these infected areas, aiming for a malaria-free Thailand by 2024, implementing 6 key strategies in 6 provinces, namely:
The Department of Disease Control under the Ministry of Public Health has developed the "Thailand Malaria Elimination Strategy 2017-2026". The strategy, operational since 2017, has been very successful, applying various innovations in diagnosis, treatment, and vector control, resulting in a continuous decrease in the number of patients.
However, since 2022 up until now, the number of malaria patients has been increasing due to cross-border population movements. From January to the present time in 2023, there have been 2,594 cases, which is three times higher than the same period in the previous year. The highest incidences are in Tak, Mae Hong Son, and Kanchanaburi provinces respectively.
Furthermore, there has been an increasing trend of Plasmodium knowlesi (Pk) malaria cases since 2022, a type of malaria where macaques serve as reservoir hosts. These cases are predominantly found in the Eastern and Southern parts of the country. Therefore, the Department of Disease Control has declared its intent to integrate scientific collaborations in malaria prevention, control, and elimination in Thailand, in conjunction with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Data updated on April 25, 2023
Source: The Department of Disease Control of the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health, 88/20 Moo 4, Talad Khwan, Muang, Nonthaburi 11000
Tel. +66 2590 1000
EN
CN
DE
JP
TH
