Southeast Asia's (SEA) healthcare financing systems have been managed well thus far but there remain gaps with the unsustainable pace in which healthcare needs and costs are growing. In the last decade, SEA has experienced rapid changes, driven by aging populations and increasing life expectancy. Coupled with shifting disease burden towards chronic non-communicable disease, the demand for healthcare has increased substantially.
Yet this rise in demand has not been proportionately matched by government spending on health with concerns over straining public funds. Expenditure remains at an average of 4-5% of total GDP across Southeast Asia, below the global average of 6-7%, and well below the OECD markets average of ~13%. Will the current system be sufficient to manage the growing healthcare demands and overcome the challenges of healthcare financing within the region?
This whitepaper will highlight the obstacles SEA nations face in their past attempts for healthcare financing reform, successful case studies of Europe and North America as well as approaches SEA nations can adopt to overcome this long-standing problem.
To find out more about healthcare financing in Southeast Asia, please contact us.
Authors
- Jisu Kim, Consultant, Consulting Services, IQVIA APAC
- Devaraj Subramaniam, Associate Principal, Consulting Services, IQVIA APAC
- Nikhil Khicha, Senior Principal, Consulting Services, IQVIA APAC