In Thailand, our work is embedded within a network of partnerships and we focus on providing regional support . We have had an office in Bangkok since 2008, which has served as a focal point to support to our country teams in Cambodia and Myanmar, and through our Asia-Pacific partners to provide support to a network of 22 countries in the region. We have strong links with the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA), and we serve as the implementing agent for the Vector Control Working Group of the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) — through which we deliver specialist training and facilitate knowledge exchange through meetings, online and in-person courses, and webinars. We also collaborate with various universities to build entomology capacity, including offering a master’s scholarship at Mahidol Faculty of Tropical Medicine in Bangkok.
Our regional programmes have strengthened vector control and surveillance, built entomology capacity, and supported regional interventions for malaria, dengue and other arboviruses. We also contribute to global preparedness for vector-borne diseases as part of the Resilience Against Future Threats (RAFT) research consortium led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and we provide support for malaria and arbovirus strategic planning and project implementation in multiple African countries.
Thailand at a glance
▶ Thailand plays a key role in supporting the malaria elimination objectives of the 22 Member States of the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network, working closely with neighbouring countries to identify capacity shortfalls, strengthen vector control and implement joint interventions aimed at achieving the region’s shared goal of malaria elimination by 2030.
▶ Thailand is not yet certified malaria free by WHO. However, the country reported a drop from roughly 80,000 malaria cases in 2021 to 9,000 cases in 2023 — a decrease of around 88 percent.
Our impact
▶ Malaria Consortium opened an office in Thailand in 2008 to function as the headquarters for the Asia region.
▶ The APMEN TechTalks webinar series and online courses draw audiences of several thousand participants from across the globe, and feature top international experts in their field.
▶ In 2024, through the Resilience Against Future Threats (RAFT) project, our staff led workshops in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania to strengthen national preparedness for arbovirus control. These workshops identified key recommendations tailored to each country, such as enhancing surveillance and improving training for entomologists. Through RAFT, we are also helping Côte d’Ivoire to develop national strategic plan for arboviruses.
▶ We provide entomological support to our country teams in Africa on malaria and arbovirus projects.
▶ We are the host of the APMEN Vector Control Working Group, supporting 22 member countries with training and technical exchange, including running the annual two-week intensive malaria vector surveillance training, and several other regular vector surveillance courses, as well as exchange visits and learning visits.
Leo Braack
Senior Vector Control Specialist, Thailand
Historically, the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) has been the source of multiple drug-resistant Plasmodium strains that spread to Africa and required radical changes in drug choices, with precious few options. Priority has therefore been to achieve malaria elimination in this region, an objective that has been pursued with tenacity and vigour, so that the elimination goal is close at hand in this region. Our Thailand office provides support for vector control capacity strengthening not only in the GMS region but across all Asia-Pacific countries, bringing to bear a range of training interventions provided by international experts
