The Minister of Public Health launched the Youth Ambassador Oryornoi program, designed to cultivate a new generation of health product communicators in its first year, piloting at four leading Bangkok schools: Triam Udom Suksa, Kasetsart University Demonstration School, Saint Joseph Convent, and Saint Gabriel's College.
On 24 Dec, reporters reported that at the 10th-floor conference room of the OSSC building, Office of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Mr. Patthana Prompats, Minister of Public Health, presided over a press conference launching the Youth Ambassador Oryornoi activity. He also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on promoting health product literacy to develop Youth Ambassador Oryornoi health product communicators. This collaboration is between the FDA and four schools: Triam Udom Suksa School, Kasetsart University Demonstration School, Saint Joseph Convent School, and Saint Gabriel's College. Certificates were also awarded to the four pilot schools and the Parents and Teachers Association of Triam Udom Suksa in Bangkok.
Mr. Patthana said the Ministry of Public Health has a literacy policy to promote quality of life, focusing on three key knowledges for survival: correct health information, awareness of one’s health status, and understanding health problem-solving methods. The ministry also aims to develop youth with health literacy and skills to lead health communication and help build a safe and healthy society independently. Previously, the Youth Ambassador school program has been running since 2003, accumulating over 20,000 schools and involving more than 400,000 students annually, focusing on education and activities within schools. For fiscal year 2026, the ministry launched the Youth Ambassador Oryornoi health product communicator program for the first time to establish a foundation for developing student ambassadors with health product literacy and communication skills to accurately convey knowledge to peers, families, and communities. This also marks a cooperation announcement between government agencies, schools, and youth networks to drive health product literacy, raise public awareness of the Youth Ambassador Oryornoi’s role in leading behavioral change to reduce NCDs, and emphasize the importance of health promotion starting in school as a vital foundation for long-term public quality of life development.
After piloting the Youth Ambassador Oryornoi program at Triam Udom Suksa, Kasetsart University Demonstration School, Saint Joseph Convent, and Saint Gabriel's College, with over 400 student ambassadors, the policy will be expanded to one Youth Ambassador Oryornoi per province nationwide. This will be done in collaboration with provincial public health offices across all 76 provinces to develop a new generation of health product communicators who will help build sustainable healthy societies.
Mrs. Suphattra Boonserm, Secretary-General of the FDA, said the Youth Ambassador Oryornoi activity aims to create a new generation of health communicators with literacy in health products, capable of critically analyzing health product information based on scientific principles. They will pass on this knowledge to friends, family, and communities to foster a safe consumer society. They represent the new generation spreading accurate health product knowledge through a four-stage development process: planting, nurturing, practicing, and transforming. This equips youth with skills to critically think, verify misinformation, communicate, and encourage peers and communities to choose and use health products safely. The key is elevating them from information receivers to communicators, as knowledge alone is insufficient—they must think, analyze, discern information, and communicate effectively. This project arms youth with literacy and communication skills to combat online health threats prevalent today.
Meanwhile, youth representatives of the Youth Ambassador Oryornoi revealed their important role as leaders of health change within schools. They focus on educating about product label reading and correct FDA number verification through friendly peer-to-peer communication, making health issues accessible and relevant to everyday life. Their approach encourages natural behavioral changes in consumption for acceptance among youth groups. Besides basic knowledge, they aim to inspire by showing that good health from nutritious diets leads to a strong body, enabling longer life with family and participation in beloved activities. They invite students from all schools nationwide to join the Youth Ambassador network to be key contributors to changing Thai consumption behaviors and building a strong, sustainable Thai society together.