ABSTRACT
Since the Second World War the overall health status of Thailand’s population has improved considerably. There have been significant reductions in child, infant and maternal mortality and increases in life expectancy, due in large measure to the control of communicable diseases. Over the past few decades there has been a downward trend in rates of morbidity and mortality from communicable diseases (except for the eruption of some new diseases such as HIV/AIDS) and a concurrent upward trend in non-communicable diseases.
