Health care spending on the rise in Myanmar
27-Oct-15, Oxford Business Group
Higher budget allocations for infrastructure and technology are set to create new opportunities for Myanmar’s private health care sector, including international health service providers and suppliers, as the country works to address gaps in staffing and facilities.
Image: Myanmar Business Today
Although patients or their families currently account for the vast majority of health expenditures in Myanmar – nearly 93% of health care spending was out of pocket in 2012, according to the World Bank – this is expected to change as the government moves ahead with plans to cover all citizens by 2030.
To achieve this, Myanmar will need to significantly increase spending on health services and related infrastructure, particularly in rural areas of the country, where roughly 70% of Myanmar’s population of 51m lives.