Obesity and chronic conditions in Asia-Pacific

A new report on Asia-Pacific healthcare warns of increasing obesity and chronic conditions.

A new OECD/WHO report on universal health cover, ‘Health at a Glance Asia/Pacific 2018’ says that in Cambodia, Nepal, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands, three women in four with the lowest household income have difficulties in accessing health care due to financial reasons. In Nepal, Pakistan and the Solomon Islands, two women in three from worst-off households have unmet care needs due to distance.

Life expectancy has increased by six years since 2000 to reach 70 years across lower-middle and low-income Asia-Pacific countries, but maternal mortality is still twice the Sustainable Development Goal target in these countries.

Many countries in the region face a double burden of disease, as they still struggle to reduce maternal and child deaths at a time when the prevalence of chronic conditions and unhealthy lifestyle is growing. More than one third of adults are overweight in Asia-Pacific, and one in ten are obese.

In high-income Asia-Pacific countries, the share of the population aged over 65 years is expected to double, to reach an average of 27.6% in 2050, whereas the share of population aged over 80 years is expected to triple to reach 10.2%. In upper-middle income and lower-middle low-income Asia-Pacific countries, the share of population over 65 and over 80 will be two and a half and four times the current share, and reach 23.9% and 14.5% (over 65) and 7.9% and 3.5% (over 80) respectively.

Health at a Glance Asia/Pacific 2018, a joint publication of the OECD with the World Health Organisation presents key indicators on health status, determinants of health, healthcare resources and use, health expenditure and financing, and quality of care for 27 Asia/Pacific countries and territories.