BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s Rural Doctors Movement (RDM) became one of the five recipients of the prestigious 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Award. The award is regarded as the “Nobel Prize” of Asia, presented by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF), in the Philippines.
The RDM was recognized by the RMAF board of trustees for its historic and continuing contributions to the health of people in Thailand, by championing the cause of the rural poor and making sure that no one is left behind as the nation prospers and modernizes.
The RDM, consisting of the Rural Doctor Society and the Rural Doctor Foundation, has emerged as a unified force of Thai doctors advocating for healthcare in rural areas for the past 48 years. Their achievement is the establishment of a system that ensures equal access to health care for all and prevents corruption in health care administration.
The other recipients of this year’s award are Karma Phuntsho from Bhutan, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong from Vietnam, Farwiza Farhan from Indonesia, and Miyazaki Hayao from Japan.
Since 1957, a total of 25 individuals and organizations in Thailand have received the Ramon Magsaysay Award, including the latest recipient, the Rural Doctors Movement. (NNT)
