Healthcare in Asia: Keeping Pace

Healthcare in Asia was held in Singapore on March 30-31, to debate and explore the region’s healthcare challenges, and the priorities for reform. The event was attended by 200 visitors including healthcare ministers, policymakers and practitioners.

According to Charles Goddard, editorial director, Asia Pacific, Economist Intelligence Unit, “Asia is at a critical juncture in the development of its healthcare systems. Countries are grappling with to modernize and transform their healthcare systems. There is a gap in strategic thinking in terms of implementing change. Many Asian governments have to grapple with day-to-day issues of providing healthcare where there is under funding, a lack of resources and a lack of capacity, against the need to strategically move healthcare forward.”

Phua Kai-Hong, associate professor, Health Policy and Management, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, described the disparity between different healthcare systems in Asia. “Developed areas like Singapore and Hong Kong have better systems compared to countries in the West. But then there are also third-world conditions, such as poverty in other regions. With rural-to-urban migration, mutating bacteria and viruses travel across borders into first-world economies.”