On 31 January 2024, Mr. Wattanawit Gajaseni, Deputy Director-General, Acting Director-General, Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) attended the opening ceremony of the Tak Border Health Learning Centre and co-signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Ministry of Public Health, Praboromarajchanok Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Health Systems Research Institute, the Borderland Health Foundation, Suwannimit Foundation on the Establishment and Implementation of Tak Border Health Learning Centre at Maesot Hospital, Tak Province. The MOA was co-signed by Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, Professor Vichai Tienthavorn, President of Praboromarajchanok Institute, Associate Professor Chanchai Sittipunt, Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Supakit Sirilak, Director of Health Systems Research Institute, Dr. Francois Nosten, Chairman of the Borderland Health Foundation, Dr. Vichai Chokevivat, Chairman of Suwannimit Foundation. Dr. Cholnan Srikaew, Minister of Public Health of Thailand, joined as witness of the signing ceremony.

This signing ceremony for the MOA marked a significant milestone in cross-border health collaboration between Thailand (Tak Province) and Myanmar (Myawaddy) to enhance public health management systems along border areas through the transfer of knowledge and experiences/expertises on border health management, in particular, the setting of migrant health network in the border communities. In this area of cooperation, TICA has been working closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Tak Provincial Health Office on the Development Cooperation Project on Building Awareness and Preparedness for Communicable Diseases and Emerging Diseases along the Thailand - Myanmar Border. Under the project, the cross-border referral system between Tak and Myawaddy, throught the setting up of Twin Hospitals Project, has been successfully established and provides benefits to both people across the borders.