NONTHABURI, THAILAND | November 25, 2022 — The Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) announced the completion of the first Technical Workshop on Infectious Disease Modelling. Research staff from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) with joint appointments at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) exchanged information and best practices of the utilisation of infectious disease modelling in Thailand, advancing regional capacity to forecast future outbreaks and estimate the impact of interventions to support policy and decision-making, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Addressing the opening of the event, Dr. Rungrueng Kitphati, Ministry of Public Health (Thailand) spokesperson and chair of this workshop stated: “One of the knowledge assets or methods that is highly valuable for supporting the decision-making by policy makers to handle disease outbreaks is the Infectious Disease Modelling, which has been used to assess previous disease control and prevention interventions and could be used to plan for future health threats preparedness. In another way, this method could be regarded as a compass or a map to guide us which direction we should aim for and how far we are towards such goals. Additionally, the results from conducting infectious disease modelling are crucial for public communication to provide mutual understanding for pandemic preparedness.”
Local technical capacity and an understanding of setting-specific contexts are critical to ensuring models produce accurate and robust results. The committees of both Ministry of Public Health and the Royal Thai Government are aware of the importance and necessity of improving local technical capacity for conducting infectious disease modelling and make the most out of it effectively. In this regard, HITAP was appointed to carry out the Technical Workshop to build capacity in conducting research and utilisation of infectious disease modelling in Thailand.
By ensuring every participant left the workshop more equipped to explore new fields of work related to infectious disease modelling, HITAP aims to strengthen the overall health system for the good of people. This remains a priority not only in Thailand, but also as part of the pandemic preparedness agenda for countries across the region.
Participants of Technical Workshop on Infectious Disease Modelling include the following experts: Dr. Mark Jit, Ph.D., Professor of Vaccine Epidemiology, LSHTM, UK; Dr. Yang Liu, Assistant Professor, LSHTM, UK; Dr. Kiesha Prem, Assistant Professor, LSHTM, UK, and National University of Singapore; Dr. Borwornsom Leerapan, M.D., Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand; Dr. Wanrudee Isaranuwatchai, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Program Leader, HITAP, Thailand; and Eric Arndt, Director, Asia Regional Office, The Rockefeller Foundation, Thailand.
This workshop is supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, which is focused on strengthening pandemic preparedness worldwide. For more information on other pandemic preparedness initiatives supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, click here. Partners for the workshop include the Health Technical Office, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, and Access and Delivery Partnership (ADP) under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
About HITAP
The Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) is a semi-autonomous research unit under Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health. It was established in 2007 as a non-profit organization in order to take responsibility for appraising a wide range of health technologies and programs, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, interventions, individual and community health promotion, and disease prevention as well as social health policy to inform policy decisions in Thailand. We place emphasis on systematic and transparent work as well as the aims to cultivate the public interest and encourage participation from all sectors of society in order to efficiently distribute and allocate the limited resources to full-fill its public objectives. For more information, sign up for our email update at comm@hitap.net.
About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We work to promote the well-being of humanity and make opportunity universal and sustainable. Our focus is on scaling renewable energy for all, stimulating economic mobility, and ensuring equitable access to health care and nutritious food. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @RockefellerFdn.
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