Health

World Health Day: Where developing Asia stands on the health MDGs

By ADB Blog Team on Tuesday, 07 April 2015

As we approach the deadline for the Millenium Development Goals, how has developing Asia performed so far on achieving the MDGs related to health? Here are a few highlights based on ADB’s latest data.

Is the medicine you take effective and safe?

By Susann Roth on Friday, 27 March 2015

Low-quality antibiotics—combined with over-prescription and poor compliance by patients—have led to antimicrobial resistance worldwide, one of the biggest public health threats in human history.

What we’ve learned from Ebola

By Susann Roth on Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Ebola was a wake-up call for countries and the wider international aid community that have not invested enough in strengthening health systems. The outbreak has shown that we need to improve the way we manage outbreak responses, and that more needs to be done to prepare us for pandemics.

Pantawid Pamilya: Money for nothing?

By Karin Schelzig on Thursday, 19 February 2015

More than 4.4 million poor Filipino families receive regular cash grants from the government to help them make ends meet.  But they aren’t getting money for nothing—there is a catch: families only get the cash if their children go to school and get regular health check-ups, and if the parents go to family development sessions every month. 

Why AIDS funding stands at a crossroads in Asia and Pacific

By Susann Roth on Tuesday, 10 February 2015

The Asia Pacific region has scored many successes in its march to reverse the HIV and AIDS epidemic in a number of countries, starting with Thailand, Cambodia, and India. But the region still faces serious challenges with other countries like Pakistan, Philippines, and Indonesia reporting rising epidemic levels. Initial successes in scaling up treatment and prevention programs have left some political leaders and policymakers complacent.

What can we learn from eradication of smallpox?

By Susann Roth on Monday, 02 February 2015

The eradication of smallpox has been a great public health success over the last 30 or 40 years or so. Smallpox was responsible for 300 million–500 million deaths during the 20th century.

Why Asia and Pacific needs youth policies

By Anna Oposa on Monday, 12 January 2015

Based on Plan International’s 2012 World Atlas of Youth Policies, fewer than half of the countries in Asia and the Pacific have youth-specific policies. Other countries have integrated youth in their constitutions or sector-specific policies, such as on education, health, and drug prevention. Do we really need to prioritize and direct limited resources to a certain demographic defined only by age?

Ten steps toward achieving universal health coverage

By Susann Roth on Friday, 19 December 2014

When ADB recently hosted a conference on using information and communication technology (ICT) in universal health coverage, it was vital not to miss the opportunity to pin down practical steps that participants could commit to taking in their own workplace. The conference culminated in the iCTen Steps: practical next steps with both quick wins and some longer-term goals that can be adapted to specific country settings, regardless of where they are on the road to universal health coverage.

ICT helping countries move toward universal health coverage

By Susann Roth, Jane Parry on Friday, 12 December 2014

ICT can bridge the gap between existing health systems and universal health coverage, but it’s a complex process and every country has its own challenges.

Move away from HIV and AIDS? Not quite yet!

By Susann Roth, Patricia Moser, Jane Parry on Monday, 01 December 2014

As we mark today World AIDS Day, we can reflect that there is so much more that remains to be done on combating HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific.

Ebola: The weakest link jeopardizes everyone

By Eduardo P. Banzon on Thursday, 20 November 2014

More than a year ago, I was in Liberia as part of a team looking into its health system and health financing reforms. The country was still recovering from long years of civil strife. But Liberia was eager to be one of a growing number of countries which were aspiring to and pursuing universal health coverage (UHC). 

Yolanda response shows power of the virtual citizen

By Suzanne Nazal on Monday, 10 November 2014

A year ago this last weekend, Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) hit the Philippines, the strongest tropical cyclone in recorded history. You may have heard about this tragedy via traditional media but it is likely you heard more about it through social media.

Window of opportunity still open on climate action

By Preety Bhandari on Wednesday, 05 November 2014

A set of reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the last of which was released on November 2, 2014, sets the scene for governments to renew their efforts on the issue through ambitious commitments for a comprehensive climate agreement in Paris in December 2015. 

We are all advocates

By Haidy Ear-Dupuy on Thursday, 30 October 2014

About twenty years ago I was working for a well-known nongovernment organization (NGO), campaigning on many issues from access to affordable drugs for HIV/AIDS patients, to advocating for fair trade for small farmers.  When asked what I did I explained about my advocacy for social justice.  “Oh so, you’re promoting communism?” was the response.

Is Asia ready for Social Impact Bonds?

By Thiam Hee Ng on Wednesday, 22 October 2014

Getting ready for the Post-2015 SDGs: Join the e-dialogue

By Anuradha Rajivan on Monday, 20 October 2014

The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are expected to bring a stronger focus on longer-term durability of development gains as opposed to the current approach which sees decision-making targeted at the shorter term. At present, businesses main focus is annual balance sheets; for development organizations it is annual results reporting; and for democracies there's cyclical elections. 

Engagement between governments and CSOs: Are we getting results?

By Claudia Buentjen on Tuesday, 14 October 2014

States are increasingly recognizing that constructive engagement and collaboration with civil society organizations (CSOs) is an important ingredient to achieving better governance.

Making Impact Evaluation Matter

By Heather Lanthorn on Wednesday, 03 September 2014

Over the last week, 3ie staff in Delhi, London and Washington were busy coordinating conference logistics, finalizing the program, and putting the last touches to their presentations. This is usual  preparation for a conference but this one is going to be different. Why? Because the participant mix–of more than 500 people–is balanced among policymakers, program managers, implementers, and researchers.

Impact evaluations crucial for effective public policy

By Vinod Thomas on Monday, 01 September 2014

Asian countries are increasingly turning to investing in dedicated development programs rather than relying entirely on economic growth to deliver better social outcomes. Evaluations of their actual impact have not always accompanied such decision making, but where they have, it has made a key difference.

Beating Malaria, Again

By Patricia Moser on Tuesday, 26 August 2014

Malaria can be beaten. Proof of this can be found in the fact that across the Asia Pacific region, millions of people who would have died from the disease are living healthy, productive lives. Still, malaria remains a serious threat to lives and livelihoods. Endemic in 22 countries across Asia, it is contracted by an estimated 32 million people annually and kills 47,000 of them.