Southeast Asia has an acute healthcare problem. These apps inject hope

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Millions of Southeast Asians today lack access to affordable, quality healthcare. As connected devices become increasingly ubiquitous in the region, however, many companies and NGOs are developing innovative ehealth apps to address the problem.

Southeast Asia’s healthcare systems today face an acute shortage of funding. Total public and private healthcare spending accounted for only 3.9 percent of Southeast Asia’s GDP in 2012 — lower than any other region in the world. While the average American and European drops thousands of dollars on healthcare each year, per capita spending in most Southeast Asian countries averages less than US$250 annually.

Low spending deters much-needed investment in new hospitals, equipment, and the information technologies that power modern healthcare systems management. It also contributes to the region’sshortage of skilled healthcare professionals. Aside from a few affluent places, large swaths of the region fail to meet the World Health Organization’s most basic healthcare workforce standards.

Source: Tech In Asia (link opens in a new window)

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