Mechai Viravaidya’s work centered on reducing births (family planning), reducing deaths (fighting the spread of HIV), reducing dependency (establishing social enterprises), eradicating poverty (community empowerment) and reducing ignorance (reinventing Thai education).
He was also appointed to key positions as Thailand’s Cabinet spokesperson, Deputy Minister of Industry, Minister of the Office of the Prime Minister, and Chairman of several of Thailand’s largest government-owned enterprises.
Mechai was presented with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service (1994), recognized as one of Asiaweek’s “20 Great Asians” (1995), the United Nations Population Award (1997), one of TIME Magazine’s “Asian Heroes” (2006), the Bill and Melinda Gates Award for Global Health (2007), the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship (2008). He was honoured with the Prince Mahidol Award for Public Health (2009). More recently, the Global Humanitarian Award from the Bill and Melinda Gates Institute (2022)
