Professor Vichai Tienthavorn is President of the Praboromarajchanok Institute at the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand. One of the nation-wide initiatives he has led is an innovative health promotion policy to help address thalassemia, with his work resulting in the adoption of an effective national policy for thalassemia prevention and control. He also designed an effective communications tool and screening method to help citizens to adapt their behaviours in order to prevent and control diabetes and hypertension. As a result of this work, a national policy was adopted with significant positive impact on the country’s disease burden. Professor Tienthavorn also played an essential role in addressing the challenge of uneven distribution of the health workforce, especially in border and rural areas of Thailand. He led the establishment of partnerships with village schools to recruit high-school students, train them and help them settle back locally after having accomplished an accelerated medical curriculum.