14-Dec-15 Chinese consumers spent RMB65 bn (USD10 bn) buying medicines, healthcare products and services on Alibaba’s Chinese retail sites in 2014, up 63% from a year earlier. In addition, sales of nursing care services grew 205% on Singles’ Day, while sales of health insurance increased 432% on Alibaba’s sites, including the huge Taobao and Tmall marketplaces. [image: International Supermarket News]

09-Dec-15 Many countries in East Asia now have to worry about losing as much as 15% of their working-age population by 2040, according to the World Bank. It said aging population and low fertility rates are to blame. Policies such as encouraging women to work, reforming pension schemes and shifting focus from hospital care to primary care are being recommended. [image: Zhang Peng / LightRocket / Getty Images]

08-Dec-15 China's implementation of healthcare reforms, changing the approval process for new medical devices and favoring local manufacturers will restrain growth for US medical manufacturers, says Moody's. China's healthcare reforms will be particularly credit negative for companies that make complex devices, such as Medtronic, Boston Scientific and St Jude. [image: Shannon Stapleton / Reuters]

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07-Dec-15 Diabetes afflicts over 400 mn people. Many new technologies are being developed but those with the greatest impact will likely be low-cost solutions that can be applied in markets such as China, India, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia. Low-cost programs are becoming increasingly possible, for example mClinica's patient management programs tailored for emerging markets, that use mobile messaging to encourage healthy behaviors. [image: Shutterstock]