Social development
Public health
Southeast Asia Drug Use Persists Despite Death Penalty
Southeast Asian authorities are not shy about doling out the death penalty to punish drug traffickers, and yet narcotics abuse has not abated. If anything, it is on the rise, which begs the question of whether the region’s war on drugs is working. []“This unique characteristic ...
Number of smokers in Thailand down to 10.7 million
A recent tobacco consumption study by the Ministry of Public Health, shows that the number of smokers in Thailand has decreased to 10.7 million, while around 100,000 deaths per year are attributed to coronary heart disease and stroke. Keep reading ...
Mekong Delta hospitals struggle to keep skilled doctors
Many doctors at public hospitals in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are reportedly quitting their jobs to seek opportunities at private hospitals due to low salaries, pressure in the workplace, and a shortage of favourable policies. Keep reading ...
Tackling malaria in the Mekong
The growth of drug resistant malaria threatens communities in the epicenter of the illness — five southeast Asian countries through which flows the Mekong river — but also poses a global threat. Grassroots campaigns are targeting to protect rural people and those living far from medical services. Keep ...
Myanmar stalling on end to child soldier recruitment: UN
Myanmar has not done enough to fulfil its promise to end the use of child soldiers and underage recruitment may even be on the rise, a top UN official said Tuesday. The military and a number of rebel groups have for years drafted underage soldiers to ...
Revised sex education curriculum planned for secondary schools
The government and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), together with civil society organisations, are discussing the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education in the curriculum at lower and upper secondary schools. Keep reading ...
Six Mekong nations call for accelerated action to eliminate malaria before 2030
The governments of Cambodia, China, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam have together called for accelerated action to eliminate malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) by 2030. Signing a joint Ministerial Call for Action at the World Health Assembly in ...
Shopee announces M2030 partnership to defeat Malaria
Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform has recently announced its commitment to help defeat malaria in the region as part of a long-term partnership with M2030, a brand created by Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA), and supported by the Global Fund. M2030 brings consumers and companies ...
Mekong rethinks drug policy as syndicates pump meth from Myanmar
The production of synthetic drugs in the Mekong Region – and Myanmar in particular – has reached “alarming levels”, the United Nations said today as regional anti-drug authorities meet to negotiate a new strategy. Methamphetamine seizures in Cambodia, China, Lao, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam have ...
China, Southeast Asian nations sign action document to eliminate malaria during World Health Assembly
Health officials from China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao, Thailand and Vietnam along with World Health Organization representatives on Tuesday signed the Ministerial Call for Action to Eliminate Malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion before 2030. Keep reading ...
