National Strategic Plan For Emerging Infectious Disease Preparedness, Prevention And Response 2013-2016

Objectives

Thailand’s National Strategic Plan for Emerging Infectious Disease Preparedness, Prevention and Response 2013-2016 provides the national framework for preventing, controlling and managing emerging infectious diseases through internationally accepted practice, coordinated preparedness, skilled personnel and knowledge management.[1][2][3]Its overarching goal is to reduce illness, deaths, and the socio-economic and environmental consequences of outbreaks.[4]

• Strengthen integrated One Health prevention, surveillance, treatment and control across human health, animal health, wildlife and environmental sectors.[3][4][5]
• Improve disease-free animal husbandry, biosecurity, import controls, livestock traceability and animal-health management to protect food security, livelihoods, domestic trade and exports.[3][6][7]
• Establish sustainable knowledge management and research systems, including research on pathogens, wildlife, diagnostics, vaccines, medicines, environmental risks and social determinants of emerging infectious diseases.[3][8][9]
• Build integrated emergency preparedness, management, logistics and response capacity to reduce health and economic losses during outbreaks.[3][10][11]
• Develop rapid, accurate and continuous risk communication that improves public knowledge, confidence and appropriate prevention and control behaviour.[3][12]

The plan comprises five strategies, 25 tactics and 140 measures: One Health surveillance and control; disease-free animal husbandry and animal health; knowledge management and research; integrated emergency preparedness; and risk communication and public relations.[3]It prioritises seasonal influenza, hand, foot and mouth disease, avian Streptococcus suis infection and botulism, while maintaining readiness for diseases including Chikungunya fever, meningococcal meningitis, Legionnaires’ disease, melioidosis, Nipah virus and West Nile fever.[13]

The strategic framework aligns with the Eleventh National Economic and Social Development Plan, International Health Regulations (2005), Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases, Association of Southeast Asian Nations frameworks, One Health principles, climate-change management and international animal-health standards.[14][2]It also addresses risks arising from population mobility, travel and trade, animal and wildlife reservoirs, antimicrobial resistance, ecological change, unsafe practices and regional integration.[15][16][17][18]

Implementation

Implementation relies on whole-of-government and whole-of-society coordination, translating national objectives into routine and special operational plans at central, provincial and inter-provincial levels.[19][20]The delivery model combines One Health collaboration, strengthened surveillance and laboratory systems, animal-health measures, emergency management, research networks, risk communication, business continuity planning and international cooperation.[5][21][10][11]

• Establish national leadership through the Executive Committee for National Emerging Infectious Disease Preparedness, Prevention and Response, supported by a core unit, alongside a National Committee chaired by a designated Deputy Prime Minister.[20][22][23]
• Coordinate the Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, local administrations, state enterprises, private organisations, communities and volunteers.[6][10][24][20]
• Integrate surveillance through shared data standards, information systems, syndromic and proactive reporting, local notifications, international situation monitoring, outbreak investigation and rapid response.[5][21]
• Strengthen laboratory and clinical readiness through national reference laboratories, quality assurance, biosafety standards, specimen-management protocols, isolation capacity, referral systems, clinical guidance, infection prevention and stockpiles of essential medical supplies.[13][25][21]
• Implement animal-health protection through disease-free farms and supply chains, biosecurity monitoring, import risk assessment, movement checkpoints, electronic licensing, veterinary surveillance, vaccine banks, cold chains and slaughterhouse traceability.[6][7]
• Operate emergency systems through a national emergency operation centre, multi-sector steering committees, incident command systems, participatory response plans, early warning, simulation exercises, procurement guidance, resource mapping and flexible emergency budget processes.[10][11]
• Require relevant ministries and state enterprises to develop and exercise Business Continuity Plans for epidemics, while encouraging equivalent private-sector arrangements.[20]
• Develop communication networks and guidance across central, regional, local and community levels, using online media, mobile phones, short message service, press briefings and public campaigns.[12][26]

International and regional delivery includes cooperation with the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Organisation for Animal Health and Association of Southeast Asian Nations mechanisms, particularly for cross-border surveillance, data exchange, points of entry, disease control and pandemic preparedness.[17][14][2]Research and knowledge management are supported through national centres, databases, technical networks, laboratory specimen-collection centres and collaboration among government agencies, universities, research bodies, communities and international experts.[8][9]

Implementation is monitored through the government work monitoring and evaluation system, with National Economic and Social Development Board, Secretariat of the Cabinet and Bureau of the Budget assigned national evaluation roles.[20]Key performance areas include functioning cross-sector coordination, early detection and containment, laboratory timeliness and biosafety, clinical capacity, emergency readiness, logistics and communication systems.[4][5][10][12]The source does not specify a consolidated budget, financing allocation or complete set of numerical targets and reporting intervals for the plan.[3][4][20]

Monitoring & Evaluation

The plan establishes a multi-level monitoring and evaluation approach centred on integrated surveillance, early detection, rapid control, preparedness assessment and implementation review. National oversight is linked to government monitoring and evaluation systems, with implementation findings intended to improve coordination, regulations and future action.[20]

• Monitor integrated surveillance, prevention, treatment and control arrangements across human health, animal health, wildlife and environmental sectors, including the existence and functioning of cross-sector coordination mechanisms.[4][5]
• Measure whether surveillance systems detect emerging infectious diseases early and enable containment of domestic transmission during the initial outbreak stage.[4][5]
• Maintain active and event-based human surveillance, including influenza-like illness, severe pneumonia and facility-based influenza surveillance.[13]
• Maintain animal surveillance through wild-bird monitoring, poultry traceability and controls on poultry movement within Thailand and across borders.[13]
• Initiate disease-control measures within 12 hours of notification of poultry disease or die-off.[13]
• Assess laboratory-network capacity to identify pathogens within defined timeframes, maintain adequate biosafety, report results accurately and promptly, and assure technical quality through validation, proficiency testing and reference materials.[5][21][9]
• Assess whether clinical and public-health personnel can diagnose and treat emerging infectious diseases efficiently and apply Ministry of Public Health standards for prevention and control of healthcare-associated infection.[5]
• Monitor animal-health compliance, imported-animal-related outbreaks, livestock consumption, export quantities and prices, and restoration planning, supported by electronic licensing, real-time movement monitoring and product traceability.[6][7]
• Track emergency preparedness through the existence of national, provincial and local coordination mechanisms; all-sector and community readiness; adequate resources and logistics; adaptable emergency support; and whether illness, deaths and economic losses remain within estimated levels.[10]
• Maintain information systems for outbreak alerts, early warning, environmental effects, healthcare capacity, damage and affected-population needs, alongside official public announcements and advice.[24][27]
• Establish risk-communication data surveillance at all levels to analyse news and regularly adjust communication policy, supported by common guidance for media conferences and crisis press releases.[12][26]
• Monitor knowledge-management performance through a national centre, policy framework, research mapping, central database, technical cooperation, dissemination and use of knowledge, research support and workforce development.[8]

Accountability is assigned through national governance arrangements. The Executive Committee for the National EID Preparedness, Prevention and Response is the national implementation mechanism, while the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Secretariat of the Cabinet and the Bureau of the Budget hold national evaluation responsibilities.[20]The National Committee for EID Preparedness, Prevention and Response oversees policy, strategy and plan implementation, with the Department of Disease Control as secretariat and key animal-health, disaster-management and wildlife agencies as co-secretariats.[22][23]

Reporting and review mechanisms include regular assessment of disease situations and outbreak alerts, inter-sector notification and information sharing, laboratory reporting, simulation exercises, and government operational-plan review under good-governance criteria.[5][21][20]The plan does not specify a single consolidated indicator framework, universal quantitative baselines or targets, reporting timetable, independent evaluation process or detailed evaluation methodology.[25][10][12]

Costing & Financing

The plan identifies extensive resource needs for surveillance, laboratories, animal-health protection, emergency operations, communication, research, domestic manufacturing and essential-service continuity, but does not provide a consolidated implementation budget, itemised allocations, financing sources, funding gap or costing methodology.[11][24][20]

• Integrate operational and budget plans across responsible agencies, use flexible emergency budget-request and reimbursement arrangements, map available resources and mobilise public and private resources.[10][11]
• Invest in laboratory networks, isolation capacity, equipment, vaccines, antiviral medicines, personal protective equipment, stockpiles and compensation or funding support for farmers whose poultry is culled.[13][25]
• Support vaccine banks, cold chains, livestock and wildlife surveillance, training, electronic movement monitoring, traceability, slaughterhouse verification and post-outbreak restoration.[6][7]
• Provide budget support for emerging infectious disease research and development, including knowledge centres, databases, biosafety infrastructure, pathogen repositories, diagnostic validation and workforce development.[8][9]
• Develop long-term domestic research and manufacturing capacity for vaccines, medicines and essential supplies in collaboration with businesses, supporting national self-reliance.[11][12]
• Maintain resources for emergency communications, utilities, blood, medicines, medical supplies, relief goods, transport, healthcare facilities and trained personnel.[28][29]
• Require the Ministry of Finance to provide budget and facilitate budget reimbursement for preparedness and response activities.[28]

Economic evidence highlights the potential macroeconomic consequences of outbreaks. Past avian influenza in Thailand was associated with reduced consumer spending, poultry exports and tourism income, a Gross Domestic Product decrease of 25,240 million Baht, equivalent to 0.39%, and an increase of more than 500 million Baht in government expenditure on prevention and control.[14]International estimates cited associate Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, avian influenza and the 2009 influenza pandemic with Gross Domestic Product reductions of 0.6%, 0.3–0.7% and 2.6–4.4%, respectively.[14]Strong public-health infrastructure and animal-health services are presented as cost-effective investments because they enable rapid outbreak detection and containment.[18]

The plan requires budget estimates during strategic-plan formulation and calls for shared resources to minimise the budget burden, but no monetary estimates, economic assumptions or funding-gap analysis are supplied in the reviewed material.[30][31][32]