London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Professor Anne Mills was honoured for her contributions to Thailand following her commemorative retirement lecture hosted by Mahidol University, Thailand on 17 October.

She discussed her personal experience in building capacity in health economics and policy research in Thailand. The lecture was attended by the Chairman and President of Mahidol University and prominent LSHTM alumni such as Dr Viroj Tangcharoensathien. Over the last 45 years, Professor Anne Mills has worked extensively with institutes in Thailand, including Mahidol University.

Professor Mills’ contributions include collaborative research which fed into decision-making on the design of Thailand’s Universal Health Coverage scheme. Professor Mills has also been extensively involved in providing PhD training, as well as directing a  short course attended by students from Thailand who would become influential in health policy and economics in Thailand. One example was Dr Sanguan Nitayarumphong who was a key figure in establishing universal health coverage.

LSHTM has a long history of collaboration with Mahidol University, beginning with the Mahidol Department of Tropical Hygiene in the 1970s. LSHTM and Mahidol University have worked together in applied health economics and policy research. LSHTM have also worked with Thailand’s Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP).

Outside of health economics, the two institutes have collaborated in various other initiatives including: the Communicable Diseases Policy Research Group (CDPRG); the Anti-Microbials in Society (AMIS) programme; and the Resilience Against Future Threats through Vector Control (RAFT) consortium.

Professor Anne Mills will shortly celebrate her career and achievements at her LSHTM retirement celebration lecture, taking place on Tuesday 2 December 2025. This lecture is open to all to join either in the John Snow Lecture Theatre, Keppel St, LSHTM, WC1E 7HT or online.