The UHC national agenda was a political decision by Prime Minster Chinnawat Thaksin’s
administration after its January 2001 general election victory. However, the policy formulation
including the designs and key features of the UCS were evidence based driven by technocrats
in favor of the poor, public-contract model offering primary health services via the district health
system network. The reformists played a bridging role between the research team who
generated evidence and the political decision makers at prime ministerial level.