Health in Asia and the Pacific

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What ADB Is Doing
What ADB Has Done
What's New

Affordable, high-quality health services need to be widely available to ensure no one is impoverished by paying for medical care.

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Reducing regional vulnerability to pandemics is important. More than 78 million people fell into extreme poverty in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific.

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Government health spending across the lifecycle is a good investment with major social and economic returns.

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ADB COVID-19 response: Committed amount*

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, affordable health services are needed to be available for all.

Note: *Committed amount is the financing approved by ADB's Board of Directors or Management for which the legal agreement has been signed by the borrower, recipient, or the investee company and ADB.
Prevalence of food insecurity and undernourishment

The prevalence of food insecurity is high in Southeast Asian countries
Maternal and Under-5 mortality ratio

In Asia and the Pacific, live birth mortality rates have lessened over the years.

ADB has long recognised the crucial link between health, development, and economic growth. The bank’s priority work in the health sector seeks to improve health infrastructure and systems, governance, workforce, and financing. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the region hard. ADB has committed more than $20 billion in assistance to its DMCs in response to the economic, social, and health costs of the pandemic. In 2020 ADB launched a $9 billion Asia Pacific vaccine facility to ensure the region gets access to affordable vaccines against COVID-19.

More broadly, ADB is working with governments in the pursuit of universal health coverage in the region, which involves prevention and containment of both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. This includes supporting research for rapid and effective diagnosis and treatment. ADB also supports projects and initiatives that help health services become more efficient, accessible, and equitable. Effective public-private partnerships are an important part of this process. Projects that promote wellbeing across the lifecycle (prioritizing mothers, children and the elderly) are a key focus for the bank, given the major social and economic returns.

Our Impact

Results delivered in 2021 from ADB projects.

0 million

People benefitting from improved health, education or social protection

0

Health services established or improved

Source:
2021 Development Effectiveness Review

Your Questions Answered

What role can the private sector be playing in extending quality healthcare, particularly to the poorest, in ADB’s developing member countries?

ADB is working with the private sector to invest in hospital services and increase delivery in rural and underserved areas. As a significant investor, ADB works with private actors to adopt gender and socioeconomic equity when investing.
Is Asia and the Pacific on track to reach its health-related Sustainable Development Goals by 2030?

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed progress in meeting health-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 targets. The pandemic severely disrupted health systems and essential health services and derailed progress in raising service coverage for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.
How has digitalization and big data impacted on the provision of healthcare in Asia and the Pacific?

Digital solutions help improve manage patient care, the collection of data for decision making, and track progress toward universal health coverage. Due to necessity during the pandemic, there was a substantial increase in telehealth and telemedicine delivered via digital platforms.

What's New

More Health resources

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.

Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.

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Health

Affordable, high-quality health services need to be widely available to ensure no one is impoverished by paying for medical care.

Reducing regional vulnerability to pandemics is important. More than 78 million people fell into extreme poverty in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific.

Government health spending across the lifecycle is a good investment with major social and economic returns.

ADB COVID-19 response: Committed amount*

Prevalence of food insecurity and undernourishment

Maternal and Under-5 mortality ratio

Our Impact

0 million

0

Your Questions Answered

What role can the private sector be playing in extending quality healthcare, particularly to the poorest, in ADB’s developing member countries?

Is Asia and the Pacific on track to reach its health-related Sustainable Development Goals by 2030?

How has digitalization and big data impacted on the provision of healthcare in Asia and the Pacific?

What's New

ADB Invests $25 Million in Quadria Capital Fund III for Health Care Investments in Developing Asia

DKI Jakarta Province Voluntary Local Review 2021—Jakarta Collaboration in Handling the COVID-19 Pandemic: Rise toward a Resilient Jakarta

Investments in WASH Can Help Nepal Reduce Climate Health Risks

Supporting Health-Care Financing Reform in Mongolia: Experiences, Lessons Learned, and Future Directions

ADB, NephroPlus Sign Loan for Dialysis Centers in Uzbekistan

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