New Delhi: Death between the ages of 30 and 70 years from four major diseases — cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases — is still unacceptably high at 21.6% in the South-East Asia Region, said the World Health Organisation (WHO). Moreover, the tuberculosis mortality rate in the region increased by 8.6% in 2021 compared to 2015, said Saima Wazed, Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region (SEARO).“Despite global commitments to the right to health, nearly 40% of the Region’s people lack coverage by essential health services. Investment in health by national governments, which is the foundation of advancing the right to health, is unacceptably low, which has resulted in high out-of-pocket expenditure,” she added.“The proportion of households experiencing financial hardship in accessing basic health care has been rising,” she added.She, however, said the region, which includes India, has seen many gains and has much to celebrate with regard to the right to health. The Universal Health Coverage service coverage index has improved from 47 in 2010 to 62 in 2021. The average density of medical doctors, nurses and midwives in the Region stands at 28.05 per 10, 000 population, up by 30.5% since 2015. “The region achieved a 68.5% reduction in the maternal mortality ratio between 2000 and 2020. Under-five mortality rate declined significantly from 84 per 1000 livebirths in 2000 to 29 per 1000 livebirths in 2021 and the neonatal mortality rate from 41 per 1000 livebirths in 2000 to 17 per 1000 livebirths in 2021. Between 2015 and 2021 new HIV infections declined by 25% and malaria incidence by 62%,” she said.
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