The nationwide series of events are held annually, in honor of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen. This year marked the ninth annual ‘Sang Nam Jai’ event, held under the theme “Thailand without Strokes”.
Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat and his wife Ms Busadee led the host of officials marking the start of the main event at Saphan Hin yesterday, organised through the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO).
Phuket had the second-highest number of registrants of all 77 provinces in the country, and the highest turnout of all provinces in Southern Thailand, the PPHO reported. A total of 16,982 people throughout the South registered to join the event.
The event at Kamala saw local participants proceed along a five-kilometre course, with the choice of walking or running. A similar-lngth course from Saphan Hin led through the streets of Phuket Town.
“Cerebrovascular disease is an important public health problem in the world and in Thailand,” PPHO Chief Dr Kusak Kukkiattikoon noted.
“In Thailand there are approximately 1,880 patients with cerebrovascular disease per 100,000 people, or 2% of the population, and it is considered the number one cause of death in women and the third in men, after accidents and cancer,” he added.
“In addition, this disease has a high rate of disability. which apart from physical disability also has the effect of causing memory loss,” he said.
“In Phuket, in 2022 there were 1,191 stroke patients and 129 deaths from strokes, and so far in 2023 there have been 1,107 stroke patients and 53 deaths,” Dr Kusak noted.
The aim of the event was to promote awareness of strokes, and to encourage people to exercise and live healthy lifestyles, he added.
“This year the emphasis is on the new generation (New Gen), which is a group of people who have creativity, physical strength, mental strength and are important forces [in society], as well as being a part of the drive for Thailand to be stroke-free,” Dr Kusak said.
Local district health offices will also continue their campaigns to create public awareness of strokes, and how a change in lifestyle can help prevent them, he said.