Engagement with migrant communities at the Thai-Myanmar border: Lessons learnt from a community advisory board

Abstract

The Tak Province Community Ethics Advisory Board (T-CAB), established in January 2009, provides advice on health research (e.g., malaria, tuberculosis) conducted by the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU) along the Thai-Myanmar border. As of June 2025, it comprises 19 members, aged between 25 and 60, of Karen and Burmese ethnicities. They advise health researchers on issues such as informed consent procedures and participant compensation amounts. They also provide direct input on research priorities, study design and procedures, and review participant-facing materials, including information sheets, and interview guides for qualitative studies. This paper presents reflections and lessons learnt over the past 10 years.