The OECD’s new Health at a Glance: Asia/Pacific 2010 says that Asian economies spend just over USD 500 per person per year on health, against over USD 3000 in OECD countries. This amounts to more than 4% of GDP, on average, compared to over 9% in OECD countries.

The report presents key indicators on health and health systems for 27 Asia/Pacific countries and economies, including four OECD member countries (Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea).


Among its findings are:


Health

Life expectancy at birth across 22 Asian countries reached 71.6 years in 2008, a gain of more than 14 years since 1970. OECD countries gained, on average, 9 years over the same period.
The infant mortality rate has more than halved across the region since 1980, but at an average of 30 deaths per 1 000 live births in 2008, it is still six times the OECD rate.
Cardiovascular diseases and cancers cause around two-thirds of all deaths, fewer than in OECD countries. Communicable diseases remain a significant cause of death.
Over half of the world’s burden from tuberculosis (around 6 million prevalent cases) is found in the region.

Determinants of Health

Calorie intake has risen from around 2 300 kcal/person/day in 1990 to 2 500 in 2007. But more than half a billion people (16% of the total population in the region) remain undernourished.
The quality of reproductive health varies widely; estimates of maternal mortality ranged from 5 per 100 000 births in Australia to 376 in Pakistan in 2008. Around three quarters of all births are attended by skilled health personnel, although in Bangladesh, Nepal and the Lao PDR it is 1-in-5 or less.
Safe water and adequate sanitation are vital for human health. The use of improved drinking-water sources is high in the Asia/Pacific region at 86% of the population, but nearly two billion people (35%) do not use improved sanitation.

Around 40% of adult males in the Asia/Pacific region smoke daily, higher than the OECD average (30%). The female rate is lower, however (6% vs. 19%).

Health Care Resources and Utilisation

The supply of doctors and nurses in the region remains well below the OECD average, at around 1.1 and 2.4 per 1 000 population.
The number of hospital beds varies considerably, being highest in Japan and DPR Korea at over 13 beds per 1 000 population. The average in the Asia/Pacific region is 3.6 beds, fewer than the OECD average of 5.4.

Many countries have high childhood immunisation rates, but large numbers of deaths from preventable diseases - such as measles, and hepatitis B - still occur.

Health Expenditure and Financing

The share of public spending in total health spending is much lower in Asia compared to OECD countries: 59% vs. 72% respectively.
The growth rate in per capita health spending in real terms was 4.9% per year in Asia, on average between 1998-2008, higher than the 4.1% observed across OECD countries. The growth rate for Cambodia, China, the Republic of Korea, and Vietnam was even more rapid – almost twice the average rate for the region.

Note to editors: The indicators have been selected on a basis of being relevant to the health needs of people in the Asia/Pacific region, taking into account the availability and comparability of existing data. The publication takes advantage of the data collected by the World Health Organization, especially the Western Pacific and South-East Asia Regional Offices (WPRO and SEARO), as well as special country surveys collecting demographic and health information.

The publication was prepared jointly by the OECD and the OECD/Korea Policy Centre.