Self-assessment of the Thai Department of Disease Control's communication for international response to COVID-19 in the early phase

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the Thailand Department of Disease Control's (DDC) early responses to COVID-19 in respect to communication with the international community and to identify the manner of Thailand's response during public health emergencies. Methods: Documents and international response communication from 4–31 January 2020 were reviewed and dates of responses were collected for descriptive analysis. A questionnaire was submitted to the DDC officers responsible for international coordination. A meeting to identify responses was held to evaluate the self-assessed capacities of the Department's international communication. Results: Thailand began the COVID-19 screening protocol on 3 January 2020. International correspondence subsequently occurred continually either through the ASEAN or International Health Regulations (IHR) mechanisms. The total score of communication for international response was 88.9%. For IHR reporting duties, the median duration to respond was 2.49 hours. Official news was sent within a mean of 9.18 hours and the English daily situation reports were always uploaded onto the official website within 24 hours. Conclusions: This study provided a benchmark for international coordination and communication capacities and also identified areas for improvement during public health emergencies, such as the need to identify English-speaking spokespeople to communicate at an international level.