Health

Thailand ranks sixth for world’s strongest health security

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have ranked Thailand sixth among a total of 195 countries for the world’s strongest health security

Published

1 year ago

November 18, 2019

Dolsinee Kritayapimonporn

The world is unprepared for outbreaks of major infectious diseases, with Asian countries facing significant risks, according to the Global Health Security (GHS) Index 2019, released on Friday. According to the report, Thailand and South Korea were among the best-performing countries in Asia

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have ranked Thailand sixth among a total of 195 countries for the world’s strongest health security.

Thailand is also Asia’s No. 1 and the only developing country on the world’s Top 10 list. South Korea is the only other Asian country to reach the top 10 with Thailand.

Thailand scored 73.2 out of 100 points, despite being the only top 10 country to be in the upper middle income range.

Thailand has been recognized as having the highest level of preparedness to cope with epidemics among 13 countries.

The conference focused on the strategic role of a working committee in the steering of the world’s health security between 2019 and 2024.

The meeting resolved to have Thailand host the ministerial-level Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) in 2020 and to chair a working committee on the steering of GHSA in 2021.

GHSA has operated since 2014, to upgrade measures for alert responses to epidemics, and currently consists of 60 member countries.

A project of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, with research by The Economist Intelligence Unit, the GHS Index is the first comprehensive assessment of epidemic and pandemic threats globally.

Rank	Country	Index Score	Region	Population	Income
1	United States	83.5	Northern America	100m+	High income
2	United Kingdom	77.9	Europe	50-100m	High income
3	Netherlands	75.6	Europe	10-50m	High income
4	Australia	75.5	Oceania	10-50m	High income
5	Canada	75.3	Northern America	10-50m	High income
6	Thailand	73.2	Southeastern Asia	50-100m	Upper middle income
7	Sweden	72.1	Europe	1-10m	High income
8	Denmark	70.4	Europe	1-10m	High income
9	South Korea	70.2	Eastern Asia	50-100m	High income
10	Finland	68.7	Europe	1-10m	High income
11	France	68.2	Europe	50-100m	High income
12	Slovenia	67.2	Europe	1-10m	High income
13	Switzerland	67.0	Europe	1-10m	High income

Built around a framework of 140 detailed questions, the Index assesses each country’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies, as well as the efficacy of their health systems, commitment to global norms, and the political, socioeconomic and environmental risk factors that can limit response.

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Has Covid-19 prompted the Belt and Road Initiative to go green?

Published

1 month ago

March 3, 2021

Oxford Business Group

Has Covid-19 prompted the Belt and Road Initiative to go green?

– Covid-19 led to a slowdown in BRI projects
– Chinese overseas investment dropped off in 2020
– Government remains committed to the wide-ranging infrastructure programme
– Sustainability, health and digital to be the new cornerstones of the initiative

Following a year of coronavirus-related disruptions, China appears to be placing a greater focus on sustainable, digital and health-related projects in its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

As OBG outlined in April last year, the onset of Covid-19 prompted questions about the future direction of the BRI.

Launched in 2013, the BRI is an ambitious international initiative that aims to revive ancient Silk Road trade routes through large-scale infrastructure development.

By the start of 2020 some 2951 BRI-linked projects – valued at a total of $3.9trn – were planned or under way across the world.

However, as borders closed and lockdowns were imposed, progress stalled on a number of major BRI infrastructure developments.

In June China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that 30-40% of BRI projects had been affected by the virus, while a further 20% had been “seriously affected”. Restrictions on the flow of Chinese workers and construction supplies were cited as factors behind project suspensions or slowdowns in Pakistan, Cambodia and Indonesia, among other countries.