NHA 19 – 2026

19th  National Health Assembly

The 19th National Health Assembly (NHA 19) will be held on 28–29 October 2026, from 08:30–17:00 hrs., at IMPACT Forum, Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi, Thailand, under the theme: “A Thriving and Empowered Society: Positive and Empathetic Public Policy for Health”

NHA 19 aims to serve as a participatory platform for co-creating public policies that respond to people’s real-life experiences and contribute to equitable, sustainable and measurable well-being. Its approach emphasizes policies that work in practice, policies grounded in empathy and people’s lived experiences, and policies that create well-being for individuals, communities and society.

3 Agendas at NHA 19

The NHA 19 Organizing Committee has endorsed three agendas for deliberation at the 19th National Health Assembly:

1. Promoting Well-being through Nature
2. Leveraging the Transition-to-Work Ecosystem for First Jobbers
3. Policy Proposals from the Youth Health Assembly

The first two agendas have undergone a participatory policy-development process, including the preparation of background documents, draft resolutions, implementation roadmaps and mechanisms for moving the proposed policies into action. The third agenda brings policy proposals developed through the Youth Health Assembly process into the national deliberative platform.

Key Features of NHA 19

NHA 19 builds upon Thailand’s participatory public policy process while placing greater emphasis on translating participation into policies that can generate tangible improvements in people’s lives.

Its approach is grounded in three interconnected principles:

Policy that Works — moving beyond isolated problem-solving towards systemic policy solutions informed by approaches that have demonstrated results in communities and networks.

Policy with Heart — bringing people’s lived experiences, particularly those of groups facing vulnerabilities or specific life challenges, into the heart of policy design.

Policy that Builds Well-being — shifting the policy focus beyond reducing health risks towards actively creating well-being at individual, community and system levels.

The Assembly will combine formal policy deliberation with spaces for learning, exchange, networking and co-creation. Key components include the deliberation of NHA resolutions, the Policy Market and the Youth Health Assembly, providing opportunities for stakeholders across sectors and generations to contribute to public policy development.

Policy Market

An important feature of NHA 19 is the Policy Market, designed not merely as an exhibition space but as an interactive platform where networks can exchange experiences, connect policy ideas and knowledge, develop partnerships, and explore opportunities for translating public policy into practice.

The Market is designed around seven activity zones: Policy Arcade, a space for pitching and exchanging policy ideas; The Policy Studio, a space for innovation and co-creation; The Un-Conference, an open space for creative dialogue; The Networking Wall, a space for building connections; The Journey of Change, a living exhibition showcasing policy journeys and change; The Policy Photo Studio, a space for policy communication and advocacy; and Health Station Talk and Live Streaming, a digital communication space connecting discussions at the Assembly with wider audiences

Agenda 1: Promoting Well-being through Nature

Promoting Well-being through Nature explores how nature and natural environments can become an integral part of proactive approaches to improving people’s health and well-being.

The agenda considers approaches such as nature-based well-being and social prescribing, as well as ways to strengthen green spaces as environments that support health and well-being. It also examines how urban infrastructure and natural environments can be better connected with people’s everyday lives to promote well-being proactively rather than focusing solely on the treatment or prevention of illness.

The agenda therefore seeks to move nature from being viewed primarily as an environmental resource towards becoming an important resource for health and well-being.

Agenda 2: Leveraging the Transition-to-Work Ecosystem for First Jobbers

The second agenda focuses on strengthening the ecosystem surrounding young people during their transition into working life, particularly first jobbers. Rather than considering employment only in terms of access to jobs, the agenda takes a broader view of the conditions affecting young people as they enter the labour market. These include skills, income, cost of living and other economic and social pressures that may influence their overall well-being.

Agenda 3: Policy Proposals from the Youth Health Assembly

NHA 19 also expands opportunities for younger generations to participate directly in public policy development through the Youth Health Assembly.

The process has been conducted across five regions of Thailand, creating spaces for young people to identify issues that matter to them, participate in policy development and formulate proposals. The resulting policy proposals have been endorsed for consideration as one of the three agendas of NHA 19.

This component strengthens intergenerational participation in the National Health Assembly and enables young people to participate not merely as attendees, but as contributors to the development and advancement of public policy.

From NHA Resolutions to Action

The National Health Assembly is designed not only as a forum for dialogue but also as a mechanism for translating participatory deliberation into public policy.

Following the established NHA process, resolutions adopted by consensus at the Assembly are submitted to the National Health Commission (NHC) for consideration and further action. Where appropriate, resolutions may subsequently be presented to the Cabinet. Implementation is also supported through mechanisms for following up and advancing NHA resolutions.

For NHA 19, particular attention is being given during the policy-development stage to preparing not only draft resolutions but also roadmaps and implementation mechanisms, with the aim of strengthening the pathway from policy deliberation to concrete action.

Overview of NHA 19 Program

NHA Agendas Discussion (Deliberative Meeting Room Process)