Bangkok: The Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Justice, and the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) are enhancing disease surveillance in prisons nationwide through "Traffy Fondue".
According to Thai News Agency, General Paiboon Koomchaya, Privy Councillor, chaired a press conference announcing a collaboration to drive innovative disease surveillance, prevention, and control in prisons through the Traffy Fondue application. Mr. Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, stated that the Ministry prioritizes upgrading the disease surveillance, prevention, and control system to be effective and comprehensive across all areas, including specific areas crucial to national health security, such as prisons.
Data from the Epidemiology Division, Department of Disease Control, in 2025 showed a total of 91 outbreaks in prisons. The most common were influenza outbreaks (50 events, 6,795 patients), COVID-19 (18 events, 1,960 patients), and food poisoning/diarrhea (7 events, 1,869 patients). This reflects the necessity of a disease surveillance system capable of rapid notification and information sharing, enabling timely disease investigation and outbreak control.
This implementation of Traffy Fondue aims to target prisons nationwide, minimizing the impact on inmates, staff, and the public. A prison-specific version of Traffy Fondue, currently under development, will include an alert system and an enhanced alert system if disease investigation is delayed beyond 72 hours. This will send information to the central authority and the Department of Disease Control management, enabling timely monitoring and action. This function is expected to be operational in 2027.
Dr. Sriyada Palimapan, an advisor to the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, stated that applying science, technology, and innovation to solve national problems is one of the approaches the Ministry prioritizes. The use of Traffy Fondue to support health hazard monitoring and management in prisons is not just a reporting channel, but a management system that connects relevant agencies, allowing them to monitor the situation and manage incidents collaboratively using the same data set. This provides data for decision-making, enhancing proactive work from the initial reporting to the timely resolution of an incident.
Police Colonel Itthikorn Chiratnanon, Secretary to the Minister of Justice, stated that healthcare for prisoners is a crucial mission that must be pursued concurrently across public health, the justice system, and human rights principles. Even though individuals' freedom is restricted by law, the right to receive healthcare and access to standard medical services remains a fundamental right that the state must protect appropriately and equally.