BANGKOK, Thailand – The Ministry of Public Health has revealed that 671 public health emergency incidents were recorded in 2025, with road traffic accidents occurring most frequently and floods causing the greatest losses. Of the total incidents, 200 were traffic accidents, including 108 involving emergency ambulances from multiple agencies. Floods and landslides led to 340 deaths and 456 injuries, the highest toll among all reported events.
Armed clashes along the Thailand–Cambodia border resulted in 77 deaths and 52 injuries. An 8.2-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, with tremors felt across 63 provinces in Thailand, caused 20 deaths and 36 injuries. Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr Weerawut Imsamran said preparedness and continuous monitoring supported rapid responses. Authorities relied on statistical analysis, weather forecasting, flexibility during periods of severe PM2.5 air pollution, and close coordination between central and provincial health offices.
Disease outbreaks increased in several areas after disasters. Flooding in the North and South was linked to higher rates of influenza and acute diarrhea, with southern provinces reporting incidence increases of up to 100%. Leptospirosis was identified in 20% of affected areas in the North and 44.44% in the South. Health data show that communicable diseases often rise in the aftermath of natural disasters across multiple provinces.
To address these risks, the ministry has introduced a nationwide requirement for disease surveillance during the 30 days following any disaster. The policy will be implemented in coordination with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and local administrative organizations. Provinces must incorporate surveillance measures into recovery plans and clearly define responsibilities during the recovery phase. Additional measures include aligning criteria for declaring outbreaks as public disasters and conducting regular joint emergency drills to test command systems, clarify roles, strengthen communication, and close operational gaps. (NNT)
