Health at a Glance: Asia/Pacific 2012
This second edition of Health at a Glance Asia/Pacific presents a set of key indicators of health status, the determinants of health, health care resources and utilisation, health care expenditure and financing and health care quality across 27 Asia/Pacific countries and economies.
Drawing on a wide range of data sources, it builds on the format used in previous editions of Health at a Glance, and gives readers a better understanding of the factors that affect the health of populations and the performance of health systems in these countries and economies.
Each of the indicators is presented in a user-friendly format, consisting of charts illustrating variations across countries and over time, brief descriptive analyses highlighting the major findings conveyed by the data, and a methodological box on the definition of the indicator and any limitations in data comparability. An annex provides additional information on the demographic context in which health systems operate.
Measuring mental health care quality
The burden of mental illness is substantial, both in the Asia/Pacific region and beyond. According to WHO’s most recent estimates (WHO, 2008b), depression is the second leading cause of disease in the Western Pacific region, accounting for 15.2 million lost disability adjusted life years (DALYs) per year, and second only to stroke. In the Southeast Asia region, depression is the fourth leading cause of diseases, accounting for 21.1 million DALYs per year. A broader sweep which includes unipolar and bipolar affective disorders, schizophrenia, alcohol and drug use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder totals 36.6 million DALYs per year in the Western Pacific region and 39.5 million in the Southeast Asia region.