Dr Viroj Tangcharoensathien

Senior Adviser to International Health Policy Program (IHPP) and Advisor on Global Health, Ministry of Health  

Nationality – Thailand  

Viroj Tangcharoensathien is the senior adviser to International Health Policy Program (IHPP), Ministry of Public Health and advisor on Global Health to Permanent Secretary Office, MoPH. He co-founded IHPP in 2001--the first health systems and policy research institution in Thailand. 

Trained in medicine at Mahidol, he served 10 years in rural hospitals. He received the Best Rural Doctor Award in 1986. His PhD thesis at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine won the Woodruff Medal in 1991. He received Edwin Chadwick Medal in 2011 for contributions to improve health systems in the interests of the poor; the Sam Adjei Distinguished Public Service Award in 2018 and WHO DG Health Leaders 2019 Award. 

Since 1989, he has published 330 articles in international peer review journals. In response to the AMR, in 2016, he established the Health Policy and Systems Research Network on AMR (HPSR-AMR) through multisectoral, multidisciplinary One Health partnership of more than 100 scientists and policy stakeholders in Thailand. The HPSR-AMR generates evidence informed policy on AMR; in particular the establishment of surveillance of antimicrobial consumption in human and animal sector, integrate AMR module in the national Health and Welfare Survey for monitoring knowledge and awareness of AMR in Thai citizens. HSPR-AMR published annual One Health Report since 2017 which covers antimicrobial consumption and AMR in humans, animals and food chain. It is the first publication from LMIC in the Region. In addition, he contributed to studies on antibiotic distribution and regulations; antibiotic use in mandarin and pig production; assessment Infection Prevention and Control capacities in Thailand; and Point Prevalence Survey of AMU in human sector in the past five years.