Health at a Glance: Asia/Pacific 2020
Measuring Progress Towards Universal Health Coverage
This sixth edition of Health at a Glance Asia/Pacific presents a set of key indicators of health status, the determinants of health, health care resources and utilisation, health care expenditure and financing and quality of care across 27 Asia-Pacific countries and territories. It also provides a series of dashboards to compare performance across countries and territories, and a thematic analysis on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Asia/Pacific health systems. Drawing on a wide range of data sources, it builds on the format used in previous editions of Health at a Glance, and gives readers a better understanding of the factors that affect the health of populations and the performance of health systems in these countries and territories. Each of the indicators is presented in a user-friendly format, consisting of charts illustrating variations across countries and territories and over time, brief descriptive analyses highlighting the major findings conveyed by the data, and a methodological box on the definition of the indicators and any limitations in data comparability. An annex provides additional information on the demographic and economic context in which health systems operate.
Alcohol
The health burden related to harmful alcohol consumption, both in terms of morbidity and mortality, is considerable in most parts of the world (WHO, 2018[37]; Sassi, 2015[38]). Alcohol use is associated with numerous harmful health and social consequences, including an increased risk of mouth and throat, larynx, esophagus, colon and rectal, liver and breast cancers, stroke, and liver cirrhosis, among others. Foetal exposure to alcohol increases the risk of birth defects and intellectual impairment. Alcohol misuse is also associated with a range of mental health problems, including depressive and anxiety disorders, obesity and unintentional injuries (WHO, 2018[37]). In 2016, the harmful use of alcohol – including road traffic deaths attributable to alcohol – resulted in some 3 million deaths worldwide (5.3% of all deaths), and 132.6 million DALYs lost (– 5.1% of all DALYs in that year) (WHO, 2018[39]; see indicator “Road safety” in Chapter 4). While many countries set age limits for purchasing or drinking alcohol, lack of enforcement and no age limits in some countries allow young people to access alcohol easily, increasing their consumption and risk of harmful consequences.
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