Malaysia is classified by The World Bank as upper middle income country and is attempting to achieve high-income status by 2020 and to move further up the value-added production chain by attracting investments in high technology, knowledge-based industries and services. Malaysia's HDI value for 2015 was recorded at 0.789 and HDI rank no 59 out of 188 countries and territories on the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Index. [1] In 2016, the population of Malaysia is 31 million; Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2014) is 1040; Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2014) was 4.2 [2] Gross national income (GNI) per capita (2011 PPP$) was recorded at 24,620 [1]
HDI value | HDI rank | life expectancy at birth | Expected years of Schooling | Mean years of Schooling | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Malaysia | 0.789 | 59 | 74.9 | 13.1 | 10.1 |
Singapore | 0.925 | 5 | 83.2 | 15.4 | 11.6 |
Thailand | 0.740 | 87 | 74.6 | 13.6 | 7.9 |
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative [3] finds that Malaysia is fulfilling 74.9% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income. [4] When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Malaysia achieves 96.8% of what is expected based on its current income. [4] In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves only 86.4% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income. [4] Malaysia falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 41.6% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available. [4]
Malaysia is classified as High Human Development (HDI) country with HDI of 0.789 in the year of 2015 while average annual income growth in the year 2015 is 0.85%. [5]
In 2016, neonatal mortality rate for Malaysia was recorded at 4.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. Between 1967 and 2016, neonatal mortality rate of Malaysia has shown a decline at a moderating rate to shrink from 16.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1967 to 4.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2016. [6] Infant mortality rate for Malaysia in 2016 was 7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births. Infant mortality rate fell gradually from 46.8 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1967 to 7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2016. [7] Under-5 mortality rate for Malaysia in the year 2015 was 7.45 deaths per thousand live births. It is shown that Under-5 mortality rate of Malaysia showed decreased from 70.31 deaths per thousand live births in 1966 to 7.45 deaths per thousand live births in 2015. [8] Maternal mortality ratio for Malaysia at 2015 was 40 deaths per 100,000 live births. Maternal mortality ratio of Malaysia recorded a gradual decrease from 65 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1996 to 40 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015. [9]
In the year 2016, global average of life expectancy at birth for both sexes was 72.0 years. Life expectancy at birth for Malaysia in the year 2016 for both sexes was 75.3 years. Japan has the highest life expectancy at birth for both sexes in the year 2016 which is 84.2. [10]
Death rate for Malaysia in 2016 was 4.9 per 1,000 people. Death rate of Malaysia has decreased from 8 per 1,000 people in 1967 to 4.9 per 1,000 people in 2016. [11] A total of 162,201 deaths were recorded in the year 2016 and there is an increase of 4.1% as compared to 2015 with 155,786. (51.8%). The number of medically certified deaths in 2016 were recorded at 85,637 (52.8%) which is an increase of 1.0 percentage points as compared to 80,691 in 2015 (51.8%) [12]
Department of statistic Malaysia reported in the press release statistics on causes of death, Malaysia 2017 that the principal causes of death in the year 2016 was ischaemic disease (13.2 per cent), followed by pneumonia (12.5%), cerebrovascular diseases (6.9%), transport accidents (5.4%) and malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus & lung (2.2%). In 2016, the Ischemic heart disease was the principal cause of death for males. Deaths due to ischaemic heart diseases recorded the highest percentage for males (15.3%), followed by pneumonia of 11.5%, 7.5% for transport accidents, cerebrovascular diseases accounts for 6.4% and 2.4% malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus & lung. For women, the principal cause of death was pneumonia. Deaths due to pneumonia (14%) recorded the highest percentage for females in 2016, ischaemic heart diseases followed next at 9.9%, cerebrovascular diseases account for 7.6%, 3.8% for malignant neoplasm of breast and 2.2% for transport accident. [12]
The under 5 mortality rate was 8.3 per 1000 live birth in the year of 2016. [13] The major cause of under 5 death in 2016 is due to certain conditions originating in the perinatal period and it is recorded at 35.0%, followed by 27.2% for congenital malformations, deformations & chromosomal abnormalities, pneumonia (3.8%), transport accidents (1.8%) and 1.1% accidental drowning & submersion. As much as 77.0% of infant deaths were due to five principal causes of death which include certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (41.9%); 30.5% congenital malformations, deformations & chromosomal abnormalities; 3.0% of pneumonia; chronic lower respiratory disease (0.9%); and meningitis (0.7%). [12]
The main causes of maternal deaths was due to obstetric embolism, it is recorded at 23.0%, followed by complicating pregnancy, childbirth & the puerperium (18.2%), postpartum haemorrhage (11.5%), ectopic pregnancy (6.8%) and eclampsia (6.1%). However, the percentage of deaths due to obstetric embolism in 2016 recorded a decline from 27.4 to 23.0 per cent as compared to 2015. [12]
Leptospirosis is a water contract disease caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospirabacterial. It is a disease that affects both humans and animals. The number of leptospirosis cases had steadily increased from 2011 (2,268 cases with 55 death) to 2015 (8,291 cases with 78 death) and 5,284 cases with 52 death in 2016. [14] Leptospirosis can have important health impact and is a burden to the nation if not well controlled. Addressing leptospirosis includes maintain a clean environment and by not swimming or wading in water that might be contaminated with animal urine, or eliminating contact with potentially infected animals.
Prevalence of HIV as a share of population aged 15–49 in 2016, was 0.4% and has fallen gradually from 0.7% in 1997 to 0.4% in 2016. Incidence of tuberculosis fluctuated substantially in recent years through 2002 - 2016 and in the year 2016, incidence of tuberculosis for Malaysia was 92 cases per 100,000 people. [15]
The largest contribution to mortality is non communicable disease. 40 million people each year die from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and accounted for 70% of global deaths annually. From 1996 to 2011 the proportion of the population who are obese increased from 5% to 15%. [16] In 2018 it was said to be one of the fattest countries in the world. In 2015, the National Health Morbidity Survey revealed that the overall prevalence of two out of three major risk factors contributing to non-communicable disease remained high for diabetes In 2017 the prevalence of hypertension was 30.3%, which is lower than the prevalence in 2011 and 2006 with 32.7% and 32.2% respectively. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia increased to 47.7% in 2017 from 32.6% in 2011 [17] Risk factors for noncommunicable diseases include tobacco use, reduced physical activity, excessive alcohol use and unhealthy food consumption. Managing the risk factor as well as early detection of disease is the key to combat non communicable diseases besides than policy coherence across all levels of government at the national and international level. Until 2014 the price of sugar was subsidised, but a tax on sweetened beverages is to be introduced from April 2019. Levels of physical movement are said to have crashed in children. [18]
In Malaysia, mass vaccination is practised in public schools. The vaccines may be administered by a school nurse or a team of other medical staff from outside the school. All the children in a given school year are vaccinated as a cohort. For example, children may receive the oral polio vaccine in Year One of primary school (about six or seven years of age), the BCG in Year Six, and the MMR in Form Three of secondary school. Therefore, most people have received their core vaccines by the time they finish secondary school. [19]
Mortality rate, or death rate, is a measure of the number of deaths in a particular population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit of time. Mortality rate is typically expressed in units of deaths per 1,000 individuals per year; thus, a mortality rate of 9.5 in a population of 1,000 would mean 9.5 deaths per year in that entire population, or 0.95% out of the total. It is distinct from "morbidity", which is either the prevalence or incidence of a disease, and also from the incidence rate.
India's population in 2021 as per World Bank is 1.39 billion. Being the world's most populous country and one of its fastest-growing economies, India experiences both challenges and opportunities in context of public health. India is a hub for pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries; world-class scientists, clinical trials and hospitals yet country faces daunting public health challenges like child undernutrition, high rates of neonatal and maternal mortality, growth in noncommunicable diseases, high rates of road traffic accidents and other health related issues.
Child mortality is the death of children under the age of five. The child mortality rate refers to the probability of dying between birth and exactly five years of age expressed per 1,000 live births.
The Tajikistan health system is influenced by the former Soviet legacy. It is ranked as the poorest country within the WHO European region, including the lowest total health expenditure per capita. Tajikistan is ranked 129th as Human Development Index of 188 countries, with an Index of 0.627 in 2016. In 2016, the SDG Index value was 56. In Tajikistan health indicators such as infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest of the former Soviet republics. In the post-Soviet era, life expectancy has decreased because of poor nutrition, polluted water supplies, and increased incidence of cholera, malaria, tuberculosis, and typhoid. Because the health care system has deteriorated badly and receives insufficient funding and because sanitation and water supply systems are in declining condition, Tajikistan has a high risk of epidemic disease.
Thailand has had "a long and successful history of health development," according to the World Health Organization. Life expectancy is averaged at seventy years. Non-communicable diseases form the major burden of morbidity and mortality, while infectious diseases including malaria and tuberculosis, as well as traffic accidents, are also important public health issues.
Niger is a landlocked country located in West Africa and has Libya, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Algeria as its neighboring countries. Niger was French territory that got its independence in 1960 and its official language is French. Niger has an area of 1.267 million square kilometres, nevertheless, 80% of its land area spreads through the Sahara Desert.
The current population of Myanmar is 54.05 million. It was 27.27 million in 1970. The general state of healthcare in Myanmar is poor. The military government of 1962-2011 spent anywhere from 0.5% to 3% of the country's GDP on healthcare. Healthcare in Myanmar is consistently ranked among the lowest in the world. In 2015, in congruence with a new democratic government, a series of healthcare reforms were enacted. In 2017, the reformed government spent 5.2% of GDP on healthcare expenditures. Health indicators have begun to improve as spending continues to increase. Patients continue to pay the majority of healthcare costs out of pocket. Although, out of pocket costs were reduced from 85% to 62% from 2014 to 2015. They continue to drop annually. The global average of healthcare costs paid out of pocket is 32%. Both public and private hospitals are understaffed due to a national shortage of doctors and nurses. Public hospitals lack many of the basic facilities and equipment. WHO consistently ranks Myanmar among the worst nations in healthcare.
According to the World Bank income level classification, Portugal is considered to be a high income country. Its population was of 10,283,822 people, by 1 July 2019. WHO estimates that 21.7% of the population is 65 or more years of age (2018), a proportion that is higher than the estimates for the WHO European Region.
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that Cameroon is fulfilling 61.0% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income. When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Cameroon achieves 81.7% of what is expected based on its current income. In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves only 70.5% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income. Cameroon falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 30.9% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.
Health in Chad is suffering due to the country's weak healthcare system. Access to medical services is very limited and the health system struggles with shortage of medical staff, medicines and equipment. In 2018, the UNHCR reported that Chad currently has 615,681 people of concern, including 446,091 refugees and asylum seekers. There is a physician density of 0.04 per 1,000 population and nurse and midwife density of 0.31 per 1,000 population. The life expectancy at birth for people born in Chad, is 53 years for men and 55 years for women (2016). In 2019 Chad ranked as 187 out of 189 countries on the human development index, which places the country as a low human development country.
The 2010 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Tanzania was 790. This is compared with 449 in 2008 and 610.2 in 1990. The UN Child Mortality Report 2011 reports a decrease in under-five mortality from 155 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 76 per 1,000 live births in 2010, and in neonatal mortality from 40 per 1,000 live births to 26 per 1,000 live births. The aim of the report The State of the World's Midwifery is to highlight ways in which the Millennium Development Goals can be achieved, particularly Goal 4 – Reduce child
Malawi ranks 170th out of 174 in the World Health Organization lifespan tables; 88% of the population live on less than £2.40 per day; and 50% are below the poverty line.
Lesotho's Human development index value for 2018 was 0.518—which put the country in the low human development category—positioning it at 164 out of 189 countries and territories. Health care services in Lesotho are delivered primarily by the government and the Christian Health Association of Lesotho. Access to health services is difficult for many people, especially in rural areas. The country's health system is challenged by the relentless increase of the burden of disease brought about by AIDS, and a lack of expertise and human resources. Serious emergencies are often referred to neighbouring South Africa. The largest contribution to mortality in Lesotho are communicable diseases, maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions.
Zambia is a landlocked country in Sub Saharan Africa which experiences a burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. In line with WHO agenda for equity in health, it has adopted the Universal Health Coverage agenda to mitigate the challenges faced within the health sector. The Ministry of Health (MOH) provides information pertaining to Zambian health. The main focus of the Ministry of Health has been provision of uninterrupted care with emphasis on health systems strengthening and services via the primary health care approach.
Even though Panama has one of the fastest growing economies in the western hemisphere, an estimated 500,000 people are in extreme poverty. Panama has major socioeconomic and health inequalities between the country’s urban and rural populations. The indigenous population lives in more disadvantaged conditions and experiences greater vulnerability in health. In general, the population living in more marginalized areas has less service coverage and less access to health care.
Life expectancy in Papua New Guinea (PNG) at birth was 64 years for men in 2016 and 68 for women.
Brunei's healthcare system is managed by the Brunei Ministry of Health and funded by the General Treasury. It consists of around 15 health centers, ten clinics and 22 maternal facilities, considered to be of reasonable standard. There are also two private hospitals. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading cause of death in the country, with life expectancy around 75 years, a vast improvement from 1961. Brunei's human development index (HCI) improved from 0.81 in 2002 to 0.83 in 2021, expanding at an average annual rate of 0.14%. According to the UN's Human Development Report 2020, the HCI for girls in the country is greater than for boys, though aren't enough statistics in Brunei to break down HCI by socioeconomic classes. Brunei is the second country in Southeast Asia after Singapore to be rated 47th out of 189 nations on the UN HDI 2019 and has maintained its position in the Very High Human Development category. Being a culturally taboo subject, the rate of suicide has not been investigated.
Montenegro is a country with an area of 13,812 square kilometres and a population of 620,029, according to the 2011 census. The country is bordered by Croatia, the Adriatic Sea, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania. The most common health issues faced are non-communicable diseases accounting for 95% of all deaths. This is followed by 4% of mortality due to injury, and 1% due to communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions. Other health areas of interest are alcohol consumption, which is the most prevalent disease of addiction within Montenegro and smoking. Montenegro has one of the highest tobacco usage rates across Europe. Life expectancy for men is 74 years, and life expectancy for women is 79.
Life expectancy in Albania was estimated at 77.59 years, in 2014, ranking 51st in the world, and outperforming a number of European Union countries, such as Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. In 2016 it was 74 for men and 79 for women. The most common causes of death are circulatory diseases followed by cancerous illnesses. Demographic and Health Surveys completed a survey in April 2009, detailing various health statistics in Albania, including male circumcision, abortion and more.
Sustainable Development Goal 3, regarding "Good Health and Well-being", is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015. The official wording is: "To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." The targets of SDG 3 focus on various aspects of healthy life and healthy lifestyle. Progress towards the targets is measured using twenty-one indicators.