Jakarta/Bangkok. Indonesia and Thailand have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on health cooperation amid rising COVID-19 cases in Bangkok.

The agreement was signed during President Prabowo Subianto’s official visit to Bangkok on Monday, where he met Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra at the Government House.

The MoU, aimed at strengthening both countries’ resilience to global health challenges, was inked by Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono and Thai Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin.

"We just witnessed the signing of an MoU in the health sector to improve our cooperation and build our joint capacity,” Prabowo said after the meeting. “This is crucial in preparing for the possible emergence of new pandemics.”

Prime Minister Paetongtarn shared the sentiment, saying Thailand is committed to enhancing its health and social sector partnership with Indonesia. “As members of the Global Health Group, we are ready to collaborate with Indonesia on international health issues,” she said. 

The health-focused MoU comes during rising COVID-19 cases in Thailand. The country’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) has reported a noticeable increase in COVID-19 infections ahead of the rainy season and the start of the new school year. From May 11 to 15, Thai health authorities recorded 14,751 new COVID-19 cases and one death. In total, 84,488 infections and 24 deaths have been reported since the beginning of the year. Officials noted that infections tend to spike during national holidays, school terms, and the rainy season, raising concerns about the virus spreading to vulnerable populations.

Dr. Panumas Yanwetsakul, Director-General of the DDC, told The Nation that from May 4–8, the highest infection rates were among children under five, followed by adults aged 30–39 and 20–29. The one fatality recorded during that period involved a person over the age of 60.