The bank announced its eighth country development partnership for infrastructure with Thailand would be three years in duration and see it provide technical support and US$750,000 (Bt26.8 million) in funding. Public Health Ministry senior adviser Dr Suwit Wibulpol-prasert said the partnership was a "step forward to sustainable development in this field and improving the country's healthcare".

The main aim is financing state provision of antiretroviral treatment for those living with HIV/Aids," according to the ministry's International Health Policy Programme director Dr Viroj Tangcharoensathien.

More than 130,000 HIV/Aids sufferers require antiretroviral treatment and this number is increasing every year.

In cases where sufferers reject or are resistant to available drugs, more expensive treatment is required, Disease Control Department chief Dr Thawat Suntrajarn explained.

Bank specialists will work with the government to solve funding problems encountered by the universal healthcare scheme, Viroj added. "We can't rely on the ministry's budget allocation alone," he said, adding the development partnership would find other sources of money for public health services.

The bank will help the country overcome a persistent shortage of healthcare personnel, Suwit said.

"As much as Thailand can benefit from our expertise and from the bank's access to global experience, other countries can also learn from the very good practices in Thailand," said World Bank country director Ian Porter.

Meanwhile, the Thailand Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences and the World Health Organisation will standardise clinical research into tropical diseases.

The collaboration will focus on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases neglected by the Western pharmaceutical industry including malaria, tuberculosis and dengue fever. 

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation