A publication of the Asian Development Bank No. 11     July - December 2011
Developing Asia
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FOCUS: Health ●

  • The Big Read: Catastrophic Costs
    As out-of-pocket medical expenses threaten to drive millions of people in Asia back into poverty, innovative approaches to paying for health care are being sought.

  • The Big Picture: Burden of Health Costs
    Out-of-pocket health care expenses can easily strain a household budget, and the financial shock of a single expensive event can push a family into poverty. For those already living in poverty, the effects can be devastating.

  • Double Burden
    An explosion in infectious and noncommunicable diseases represents a worsening crisis for developing economies and health authorities.

  • Human vs. Bug
    Most scientists believe that the next major pandemic will emerge from Asia. Can the region pull together and stop it in its tracks?

  • Islands of Health
    Often isolated, sparsely populated, and resource-poor, Pacific island countries face special challenges in terms of health care.

  • Health for Hire
    Some developing countries are experimenting with turning over the provision of basic health care to outside contractors. Can one of a society's most important public functions be entrusted to external organizations?
ARTICLES ●
  • Tiny Loans, Big Questions
    Microfinance–seen by many as a revolution in grassroots development–is facing tough scrutiny.
  • Profiles in Development: What Works
    Yale University economist and professor Dean Karlan is trying to bridge the gap between academia and development to understand why projects succeed (or fail).
  • Reconnaissance: Shop Fair
    Do you want to be an ethical shopper? Just look for the fair trade or similar label. Or is it that simple?
DEPARTMENTS ●
Off the Press
  • A Linguist's Nightmare
  • Changing Face of Aid
  • Fostering South-South Cooperation
  • Quantity Rather Than Quality
  • Managing Global Risks
  • Population Debate
  • Deal Breaker
On the Web
  • Deep Thoughts: Chris Blattman's Blog
  • Insert Tongue into Cheek: Stuff Expat Aid Workers Like Blog
Off the Shelf
  • Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men
  • The Changing Body: Health, Nutrition, and Human Development in the Western World since 1700
  • Arrival City: How the Largest Migration in History is Reshaping Our World
  • Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty
  • The Globalization Paradox: Why Global Markets, States, and Democracy Can't Coexist
On the Record
  • Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization
  • Former United Nations Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Kofi Annan
  • Bill Gates, cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Hu Jintao, President of the People's Republic of China
  • Christine Lagarde, the First Woman to Head the International Monetary Fund
Getting Better

Asian and Pacific countries are facing unprecedented challenges related to health care. While wealthier countries tend to suffer from noncommunicable ailments, such as cancer and diabetes, and poorer countries from communicable diseases, like malaria and dengue, many parts of Asia and the Pacific are plagued by both. This edition of Development Asia explores the double burden of disease that political leaders in the region are grappling to address. At the root of this problem is health financing. Simply put: how do governments and their private sector partners provide solutions that keep the poor from suffering catastrophic health care costs?

Ann Quon
Publisher
Asian Development Bank

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About Us

Development Asia features development issues important to the Asia and Pacific region. It is published four times a year by the Asian Development Bank. The views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank or Haymarket Media Ltd. Use of the term "country" does not imply any judgment by the authors or the Asian Development Bank as to the legal or other status of any territorial entity.

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