Fighting disease is a regional battle | Bangkok Post: opinion

HEALTH

This week, more than 1,200 health professionals, industry experts and healthcare professionals gathered at the Prince Mahidol Awards Conference (PMAC) in Bangkok to discuss best practices and cross-sector solutions to addressing infectious diseases in Asia. It is a theme as relevant now as it was when the Rockefeller Foundation first sought a partnership in Thailand for an anti-hookworm campaign in 1915, but given the complexities of our 21st century world it has never been as urgent.

Myanmar officials unload relief aid packages donated to victims of Cyclone Nargis by the Thai Red Cross in May 2008.

Climate change and severe weather events, changing disease patterns, disparities in access to quality education and health, and rapid urbanisation have all increased a critical need for us to prepare for and bounce back stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. And in the context of the interconnected nature of our planet, the resilience of one country often depends on the resilience of many others.