Economic Burden of NCDs in South East Asian Region (SEAR) Both at micro and macro-level, economic consequences of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are enormous. Spending more income on unhealthy behaviours like tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol resulted in decreased financial resources for essential items such as food, education and daily consumables. In the region, at macro level, a decrease in total productivity and GDP is caused due to NCDs. In next 20 years, NCDs will cost more than US$30trillion - an estimation done by Harvard School of Public Health and World Economic Forum (WEF). It may push millions of people below the poverty line. An increase in NCDs is associated with annual economic growth with 10% and 0.5% respectively. NCDs result in absenteeism and inability to work. So ultimately a decrease in national income occurs. Projected cost of cardiovascular disease in terms of lost GDP in selected countries of South-East Asia Region, 2006 and 2015 Since NCDs are chronic in nature, they require long-term treatment For the management NCDs huge investment is needed. These investments are associated with expensive infrastructure, investigation of technologies and for drugs. |
Some examples of high expenditure on health care financing in the Region are:
Country |
Year |
Value |
Thailand |
2008 |
US$881 |
Indonesia |
2008 |
US$1420 |
|
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