On 24 September 2024, H.E. Mr. Maris Sangiampongsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, co-hosted and opened the 5th Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends on Universal Health Coverage and Global Health (GoF on UHC) with the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan and  the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia at the UN Headquarters in New York. This year, the event was organised under the theme “Financial Protection: The Key to Unlocking Universal Health Coverage and Ensuring Equitable Access for All.”

On this occasion, the Minister delivered opening remarks to welcome the participants while also highlighting Thailand’s successes on Universal Health Coverage, which began 22 years ago and has made it possible for over 99 percent of Thais to have health coverage today. He also shared on Thailand’s efforts to constantly expand health insurance coverage, now with programs that allow migrant workers and non-Thais to access health care. The Minister also elaborated on the upgrade of the Government policy from “30 baht Treatment of all Diseases” to “30 baht Treatment Anywhere,” which allows for Thais to easily access care at facilities beyond their designated providers and reduce indirect costs to healthcare. He also shared that Thailand is the current chair of the Foreign Policy and Global Health Initiative or FPGH and has proposed health promotion as its theme, a topic closely linked with and mutually reenforcing UHC.

The event was well attended, while many high-level representatives from countries including Malta, Uganda, and Dominican Republic, also took part to share their national experience and best practices on Universal Health Coverage, with a view to show support and revitalize efforts toward implementation of UHC. For Thailand, in addition to representation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Panumard Yarnwaidsakul, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health also participated in the event.