East Asia and Pacific (EAP) is facing a rising burden of chronic, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that threaten to overwhelm health systems and slow economic growth. A new World Bank report, A Healthy Future: Primary Health Care and the Chronic Disease Epidemic in EAP, emphasizes that urgent reforms in primary health care (PHC) can help the region address these challenges, improve health outcomes, and foster long-term prosperity. Strengthening PHC offers high economic returns, with every US$1 invested potentially yielding up to US$16 in benefits through better health, higher productivity, and job creation.
Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, Vice President for EAP at the World Bank, highlighted that strong PHC systems do more than safeguard health—they enable people to learn more, work more productively, and invest in their futures. Reforming PHC is therefore essential for the region to achieve the World Bank’s goal of delivering quality, affordable health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030, while supporting inclusive economic growth.
EAP countries have achieved remarkable health gains over the past three decades, with under-5 mortality dropping significantly and life expectancy rising. Yet, people now spend nearly a decade in poor health. Aging populations, urbanization, and unhealthy lifestyles are driving the rise of NCDs among adults in their most productive years, leading to reduced productivity and increased healthcare costs.
Prevention and early intervention through PHC are crucial for managing NCDs and keeping people out of hospitals. However, many health facilities in EAP remain focused on treatment rather than prevention, and public awareness of NCD risks is low. Consequently, households often bypass PHC services, delaying care and underutilizing preventive services, which exacerbates the health and economic burden.
The report stresses that PHC reforms must be context-specific, accounting for each country’s financial, technical, and political capacities. Key recommendations include equipping PHC providers with the infrastructure, tools, and skills to address NCDs, improving care quality through monitoring and incentives, making PHC affordable for low-income populations, and promoting healthier lifestyles and preventive care through information, nudges, and incentives.
Aaditya Mattoo, EAP Chief Economist at the World Bank, emphasized that investing in prevention, embracing innovation, and strengthening community-level PHC services can create new opportunities for economic progress, enhance human capital, and improve quality of life across East Asia and the Pacific.
