Publication: A Healthy Future: Primary Health Care and the Chronic Disease Epidemic in East Asia and Pacific
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2025-12-16
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2025-12-16
Author(s)
Debebe, Zelalem
Kim, Young Eun
Mutasa, Ronald
Nguyen, Son-Nam
Pradhan, Elina
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Abstract
In East Asia and Pacific (EAP), people are living longer but not necessarily healthier lives. As populations age and urbanize, an epidemic of chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease is taking hold, affecting workers in their prime, eroding productivity, and escalating health care costs. The most effective strategies to address this health crisis—prevention, screening, early diagnosis, and care management—are best implemented bya strong primary health care system. However, many EAP countries are using outdated models, focusing on cure rather than prevention, and monitoring inputs instead of patient outcomes. Providers lack the capacity and incentives to deliver quality services, and patients lack the knowledge and motivation to adopt healthy lifestyles.
Drawing on proven approaches, "A Healthy Future: Primary Health Care and the Chronic Disease Epidemic in East Asia and Pacific" proposes reforms of primary health care to help deliver a healthier and more prosperous future for people in the EAP region.
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Debebe, Zelalem, Damien de Walque, Young Eun Kim, Sang Minh Le,
Aaditya Mattoo, Aakash Mohpal, Ronald Mutasa, Somil Nagpal, Son-Nam Nguyen, Elina Pradhan, Erin Sowers, and Ajay Tandon. 2026. A Healthy Future: Primary Health Care and the Chronic Disease Epidemic in East Asia
and Pacific. East Asia and Pacific Development Studies. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-2284-1. License: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO
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