ASEAN Life Vol: 1 January - March 2014 | Page 21

HEALTH Health Issues in ASEAN Countries and Addressing Resistance to Antimalarial Medicines” on November 20, 2012. Measles is another health problem affecting the region. Around 45% of global fatalities, or 70,700 children died because Photo by Muscle Injection, www.flickr.com of the disease in 2011. It is estimated that The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN is an organization with most member countries still far from being considered as advanced or first class countries. P over 8 million children don’t have any form of protection against the disease. Non-communicable diseases, maternal and perinatal conditions, and nutritional deficiencies are also significant health issues among ASEAN countries. Southeast Asia has 27% of the global disease burden due to noncommunicable diseases. Every year, nearly 8 overty is still a problem in the and unsafe agricultural produce affects the million people die due to non-communicable region, and is reflected in the lives of millions of people in the region. The health conditions. This is more than half of region’s health situation. The threats of A1H1 and swine flu are big health all deaths recorded in the region. Smoking economic, political, and social diversity of problems that require careful and decisive and other vices including habitual alcohol ASEAN societies also contribute to health solutions. consumption, drug addiction and the consumption of unhealthy food contribute issues. PREVAILING HEALTH WOES THE ASEAN HEALTH SITUATION to the prevalence of major health threats. The Philippines has to wrestle with Data compiled from the World poverty and a large population to make REGIONAL ACTION PLAN ON HEALTHY Health Organization, the United Nations healthcare more accessible to more citizens. LIFESTYLES Population Fund, and the World Bank reveal Burma and Vietnam are trying to address the As ASEAN economies steadily gain a great disparity in health conditions. Richer spread of HIV/AIDS. HIV prevalence in Burma ground, new health problems notably emerge. countries like Singapore and Brunei tend to is estimated at 1.3% while it is 0.5% for Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN Secretary-General, have healthier citizens while the less wealthy Vietnam. Thailand is seeking to fix the health said that wealth increase across Southeast ones like Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam suffer disparity between the country’s wealthy Asian countries is introducing a new wave from lower access to health care and are and poor populations. Even relatively-rich of health problems such as diabetes, lung less prepared in handling emergency health Singapore has to deal with health issues, disease, heart disease, and hypertension. issues and threats. mainly attributed to pollution and unhealthy Lack of exercise, stress from work or business lifestyles. endeavors, consumption of instant food and Earthquakes, typhoons, floods, and volcanic eruptions cause numerous fatalities Malaria is still a major health burden. sugary beverages, and vices such as smoking and consequent environmental conditions Eliminating the disease has bec