India's great healthcare challenge and opportunity
13-Jun-17, ET Healthworld
India added 450 million people over the 25 years to 2016. This period of rising prosperity has been marked by a "dual-disease burden", a continuing rise in communicable diseases and a spurt in non-communicable or "lifestyle" diseases, which accounted for half of all deaths in 2015, up from 42 percent in 2001-03.
%20ET%20Healthworld.jpg "Indias great healthcare challenge and opportunity (c) ET Healthworld")
Image: ET Healthworld
The result of this disease burden on a growing and ageing population, economic development and increasing health awareness is a healthcare industry that has grown to $81 billion in 2013 and is now projected to grow at 17 percent by 2020, up from 11 percent in 1990.
As that happens, in rural areas, mobile technology is expected to play a critical role in improving healthcare delivery. Some companies are also investing in low-cost digital and device solutions, for example GE Healthcare's Lullaby Baby Warmer.