RESEARCH THEME
OUR UPDATE
The International Health Policy Program, Thailand (IHPP) is a semi-autonomous program conducting research on national health priorities related to health policy and systems in Thailand. As part of the Global Health Division of the Ministry of Public Health, this program aims at improving national health care systems through generating reliable knowledge and evidence of health policy and systems for the public and Thai policymakers.
However, the original aim of strengthening the capacity of Thai researchers is still carried on in the relevant areas of health care financing, economic evaluation, public health insurance, and health policy analysis.
This program also supports researchers in pursuing their postgraduate studies in local universities or abroad. During the last ten years, IHPP has done a number of outstanding records in health policy and systems research. These have identified and addressed key emerging issues in health systems with the application of tools such as health economics, health financing, and health policy analysis.
IHPP focuses not only on research, but on policy processes and utility of research findings, which requires researchers to work closely with relevant stakeholders in each particular field. Most importantly, IHPP has physical proximity to, but an arm’s length relationship with policy makers in and outside the Ministry of Public Health in order to maintain policy relevance, scientific integrity and independence.
The organizational structure of the International Health Policy Program (IHPP) has a dual entity or semi-autonomous research institute. The IHPP is under the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health and closely collaborates with the Global Health Division.
The organization consists of an administrative office and numerous research teams working on various health-related themes. The working areas also include cross-cutting areas namely Global Health and Sustainable Development Goals.