On 13 June 2022, H.E. Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health and H.E. Mr. Nashida Kazuda, the Ambassador of Japan to the the Kingdom of Thailand presided over the Handover Ceremony of Laboratory and Cold Chain Equipment for Strengthening National Laboratory System and Infectious Diseases Instiutute at the Ministry of Public Health. Dr. Kiattipoom Wongrajit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Supakit Siriluk, Director-General of the Department of Medical Sciences, Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, Director-General of the Department of Diseases Control and Mr. Morita Takahiro, Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Thailand Office were present at the Ceremony. 

On this occasion, Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Director-General of Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was invited as the honourable guest.

The Government of Japan provided the 100 million Baht worth of laboratory and cold chain equipment to the Minsitry of Public Health with an aim to enhance capacity of the Department of Medical Sciences and the Department of Diseases Control in response to COVID-19 Pandemic. The medical support and provision of equipment is implemented by JICA in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and TICA under two Technical Cooperation Projects namely: the Project for Strengthen National Laboratory System in Response to COVID-19 and the Project for Capacity Building of Infectious Disease Institute in Response to COVID-19.

The two projects are part of the technical cooperations between JICA, TICA, and the Ministry of Public Health in response to Thailand’s national health security policy.