Rural Doctors Movement from Thailand has been named as one of the recipients of the 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Award, widely regarded as Asia’s premier prize and highest honor. This recognition highlights the profound impact of the movement’s decades-long efforts to bring equitable healthcare to the kingdom’s rural poor, turning what was once an elusive dream into a national reality.
The Rural Doctors Movement, comprising the Rural Doctor Society and the Rural Doctor Foundation, has significantly influenced Thailand’s healthcare landscape, particularly in remote and rural areas. A coalition of dedicated voluntary physicians, they have been instrumental in shaping key national policies and laws, leading to the successful implementation of universal healthcare across the country.
In reflecting on their mission, the Rural Doctors Movement states, “The world’s major problem is the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Over the past half-century, the Rural Doctors Movement has been committed to reducing this gap. The work we are proud of is the universal health coverage system that all Thai people can access without a ‘financial barrier.'”
“Our ideology aligns with President Ramon Magsaysay’s belief that ‘Those who have less in life should have more in law,’ and with the teaching of H.R.H. Prince Mahidol Songkla that states: ‘Let personal gain be secondary, and the benefit of your fellow humans be your primary concern. Wealth, assets, and honor will come to you naturally if you uphold the moral principles of your profession with purity,'”
they added.
The Rural Doctors Movement was elected to receive the 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Award for “their historic and ongoing contributions to their people’s health—and perhaps just as importantly, to their recognition and fulfillment as citizens with basic rights. By championing the rural poor, the movement made sure to leave no one behind as the nation marches forward to greater economic prosperity and
modernization.”
The Rural Doctors Movement is joined by four other transformative leaders who will receive the 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Award: Karma Phuntsho from Bhutan; Hayao Miyazaki from Japan; Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong from Vietnam; and for Emergent Leadership, Farwiza Farhan from Indonesia. This recognition places them alongside past Magsaysay Awardees including Mother Teresa, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Muhammad Yunus, and other figures whose compassion and greatness of spirit have transformed Asia for the better.
The 66th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies will take place on 16 November 2024, at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila, Philippines. This inspiring event, where the 2024 Magsaysay Laureates will formally receive their Ramon Magsaysay Award medallions and certificates, will also be streamed live on the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation’s official Facebook and YouTube
accounts.