Advancing Universal Health Coverage in the WHO South-East Asia Region with a focus on Human Resources for Health.

The identification in 2014 of Universal Health Coverage, including focus on human resources for health, as a flagship priority for the WHO South-East Asia Region marked critical departure from the prior period of the Millennium Development Goals. The last decade witnessed strong political commitment and action to advance UHC across the Region. At regional level, UHC service coverage index improved from 47 in 2010 to 62 in 2021.

Nutritional Content of Popular Menu Items from Online Food Delivery Applications in Bangkok, Thailand: Are They Healthy?

The rise in online food delivery (OFD) applications has increased access to a myriad of ready-to-eat options, which may lead to unhealthier food choices. Our objective was to assess the nutritional profile of popular menu items available through OFD applications in Bangkok, Thailand. We selected the top 40 popular menu items from three of the most commonly used OFD applications in 2021.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Uptake in Bangkok, Thailand: Cross-sectional Online Survey.

Background: The third most severe COVID-19 wave in the middle of 2021 coincided with the dual challenges of limited vaccine supply and lagging acceptance in Bangkok, Thailand. Understanding of persistent vaccine hesitancy during the "608" campaign to vaccinate those aged over 60 years and 8 medical risk groups was needed. On-the-ground surveys place further demands on resources and are scale limited.

Development of Diabetic retinopathy screening guidelines in South-East Asia region using the context, challenges, and future technology.

Objective: To formulate guidelines for screening of diabetic retinopathy (DR) for the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region (SEAR) aligned with the current infrastructure and human resources for health (HRH).

Design: A consultative group discussion of technical experts of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) from SEAR.

Participants: IAPB country chairs and DR technical experts from SEAR countries.

Alcohol's harm to others and subjective well-being: Cross-sectional studies in Lao People's Democratic Republic and Thailand.

Introduction And Aims: Previous studies have confirmed that the number of heavy drinkers in a household negatively correlates with the subjective well-being of individuals in the household. However, limited studies have investigated the experiences of alcohol's harm to others (HTO) and subjective well-being, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between experiences of HTO and subjective well-being in two selected low- and middle-income countries.

The social location of harm from others' drinking in 10 societies.

Aims: Survey data from 10 diverse countries were used to analyse the social location of harms from others' drinking: which segments of the population are more likely to be adversely affected by such harm, and how does this differ between societies?

Methods: General-population surveys in Australia, Chile, India, Laos, New Zealand, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United States and Vietnam, with a primary focus on the social location of the harmed person by gender, age groups, rural/urban residence and drinking status. Harms from known drinkers were analysed separately from harms from strangers.

Results: In all sites, risky or moderate drinkers were more likely than abstainers to report harm from the drinking of known drinkers, with risky drinkers the most likely to report harm.

Youth tobacco use in South-East Asia: Implications for tobacco epidemic and options for its control in the region.

Nearly half of all male population and two in every five females in the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR) consume some form of tobacco. Preventing initiation among adolescents is critical for overall tobacco control. We assessed the trends in youth tobacco use and policies in SEAR.

Regulating smokeless tobacco and processed areca nut in South-East Asia region: The journey so far and the road ahead.

South-East Asia Region (SEAR) has more smokeless tobacco users as compared to smokers. The growing prevalence and cultural acceptance of consumption of flavored areca nut and related products, for example, supari and pan masala in many countries are confounding the scenario. The prevalence of a variety of tobacco products makes regulation a challenge which gets more complicated in view of weak enforcement of regulatory policies aggressive marketing of such products by the tobacco industry.

A Multi-Country Study of Harms to Children Because of Others' Drinking.

Objective: This study aims to ascertain and compare the prevalence and correlates of alcohol-related harms to children cross-nationally.

Method: National and regional sample surveys of randomly selected households included 7,848 carers (4,223 women) from eight countries (Australia, Chile, Ireland, Lao People's Democratic Republic [PDR], Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam). Country response rates ranged from 35% to 99%.

Global burden of all-cause and cause-specific mortality due to smokeless tobacco use: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To systematically review and meta-analyse the studies investigating the association between smokeless tobacco (SLT) use and all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality outcomes among adult users of SLT and estimate the number of attributable deaths worldwide.

Methods: Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled risk of death due to SLT use. Population attributable fractions were derived and used to calculate the number of attributable deaths.

Provincial alcohol index and its relationship to alcohol-related harm in Thailand: implications for subnational alcohol policy development.

Background: The Provincial Alcohol Index (PAI) is one of the efforts to develop a composite measurement to operationalize the situation of alcohol consumption and related risk behaviors. The index offers a means for national and subnational alcohol control committees to address alcohol-related problems in their responsible jurisdiction areas. The objective of this study is to assess the relationship between PAI scores and alcohol-related problems using Thailand as an example.

Analysis of health promotion and prevention financing mechanisms in Thailand.

In the transition to the post-2015 agenda, many countries are striving towards universal health coverage (UHC). Achieving this, governments need to shift from curative care to promotion and prevention services. This research analyses Thailand's financing system for health promotion and prevention, and assesses policy options for health financing reforms.

Profits and pandemics: prevention of harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed food and drink industries.

The 2011 UN high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) called for multisectoral action including with the private sector and industry. However, through the sale and promotion of tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed food and drink (unhealthy commodities), transnational corporations are major drivers of global epidemics of NCDs. What role then should these industries have in NCD prevention and control? We emphasise the rise in sales of these unhealthy commodities in low-income and middle-income countries, and consider the common strategies that the transnational corporations use to undermine NCD prevention and control.

Compliance of off-premise alcohol retailers with the minimum purchase age law.

Background: In Thailand, the 2008 Alcoholic Beverages Control Act set the minimum purchase age (MPA) at 20 years old in order to limit new drinkers as part of the overall alcohol control effort. This study aims to assess the compliance of off-premise alcohol retailers with MPA restrictions and to identify factors affecting sales to adolescents.

Methods: A decoy protocol was used to quantify compliance of 417 alcohol retailers from three categories, namely grocers, modern minimarts and department stores.

Addiction research centres and the nurturing of creativity: Center for Alcohol Studies (CAS), Thailand.

The Center for Alcohol Studies of Thailand (CAS) is a newly established research agency in Thailand. With support from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, CAS was established as the national research and knowledge management institute for addressing alcohol-related harms. CAS possesses some rare qualities.

The International Alcohol Control (IAC) study-evaluating the impact of alcohol policies.

Background: This paper describes a new multicountry collaborative project to assess the impact of alcohol control policy. Longitudinal surveys of drinkers in a number of participating countries and analysis of the policy context allow for the assessment of change over time within countries and comparison between countries. The design of the study is modeled on the International Tobacco Control study and aims to assess the impact of alcohol policies in different cultural contexts on policy-related behaviors and alcohol consumption.

Reducing harm from alcohol: call to action.

Despite clear evidence of the major contribution alcohol makes to the global burden of disease and to substantial economic costs, focus on alcohol control is inadequate internationally and in most countries. Expansion of industrial production and marketing of alcohol is driving alcohol use to rise, both in emerging markets and in young people in mature alcohol markets. Cost-effective and affordable interventions to restrict harm exist, and are in urgent need of scaling up.