The World Health Organization (WHO) ) Country Office in Thailand, in collaboration with the Praboromarajchanok Institute (PBRI), and with technical support from WHO headquarters and the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), convened a subnational workshop to advance the implementation of essential public health functions (EPHFs) in Thailand. The initiative aims to support a workforce better equipped to promote health, support the delivery of essential public health services and protect communities from health threats, including public health emergencies.
Thailand is one of four countries selected to initiate implementation of the roadmap on strengthening the public health workforce to deliver essential public health functions (EPHFs) through a project supported by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA).
The workshop, “Operationalized Framework for National Workforce to Deliver Essential Public Health Functions and Field Assessment at Subnational Level in Thailand,” brought together public health professionals, educators and technical experts to strengthen understanding of the WHO EPHF roadmap and explore how EPHFs can be applied in the Thai context. As part of this initiative, participants conducted a country-led assessment of institutional capacities to deliver EPHFs through discussions and field-based learning at the subnational level, supported by international expertise and knowledge exchange.
Through discussions and field-based assessments, participants examined how public health functions are delivered across provincial, district, primary care and community levels, identifying potential gaps in workforce capacity and competencies to help inform competency-based education and future workforce development.
EPHFs provide a framework for protecting and promoting health, preventing disease, strengthening surveillance, preparing for health emergencies, and fostering collaboration across sectors. As an essential component of primary health care, EPHFs support progress towards universal health coverage and health security.
Strengthening EPHFs can help ensure that that vital public health functions are effectively delivered, supporting a strongerprimary health care (PHC)-oriented health system and robust health security, while helping communities better prepare for and respond to public health threats, including emergencies.
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