Health in Thailand - Health Indices

Health Indices

According to the World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory (data from 2009), life expectancy at birth in Thailand is 66 years for males and 74 for females. Mortality rate is 205 per 1,000 adults 15 to 59 years of age, and under-5 mortality rate is 14 per 1,000 live births. Maternal mortality ratio is 48 per 100,000 live births (2008), compared to a regional average of 240, while prevalence of HIV is 13 per 1,000 adults 15–49 years (regional average 3) and prevalence of tuberculosis is 189 per 100,000 population (regional average 278). Years of life lost distributed by cause was 24% from communicable diseases, 55% from non-communicable diseases, and 22% from injuries (2008).

In 2009, annual spending on health care amounted to 345 international dollars per person in purchasing power parity (PPP). Total expenditures represented about 4.3% of the gross domestic product (GDP); of this amount, 75.8% came from public sources and 24.2% from private sources. Physician density was 2.98 per 10,000 population in 2004, with 22 hospital beds per 100,000 population in 2002.

Data for utilization of health services in 2008 include 81% contraceptive prevalence, 80% antenatal care coverage with at least four visits, 99% of births attended by skilled health personnel, 98% measles immunization coverage among one-year-olds, and 82% success in treatment of smear-positive tuberculosis. Improved drinking-water sources was available to 98% of the population, and 96% were using improved sanitation facilities (2008).