04-Apr-16 The Philippines has launched the world's first public immunization program for dengue fever, seeking to administer to a million schoolchildren a vaccine against a mosquito-borne disease estimated to infect 390 mn people a year globally. The Philippines has the highest dengue incidence in the Western Pacific, recording 200,415 cases in 2015. [image: South China Morning Post]

18-Feb-16 The Philippines’ oldest conglomerate Ayala Corp plans to expand its investments in the healthcare sector with the roll out of 100 retail clinics under the brand-name FamilyDoc over the next three years. So far, it has two FamilyDoc clinics located in Las Piñas and Imus, Cavite. The clinics will house a pharmacy, a diagnostic center, and physicians to handle consultations. [image: Retail News Asia]

19-Jan-16 Philippines Vice President Jejomar Binay has criticized the government’s health program, saying its health policies had been an additional burden to the poor instead of helping them. Citing a report from IBON Foundation, a spokesman said PhilHealth members were still shelling out money for confinement, medicine and other medical needs, defeating the purpose of PhilHealth membership. [image: The Standard]

26-Nov-15 Indian health tech startup Practo has launched a customized app for physicians, paediatricians and dentists that will allow them digitally to prescribe laboratory tests and check results in real time. The app, Practo Ray, also includes a database of nearly 100,000 commonly prescribed medicines. [image: The Economic Times]

13-Oct-15 As China's growing 40+ population suffers increasingly from lifestyle diseases such as cardiac problems and cancer, many of the wealthy among them will seek treatment in the US or Europe. And many more will spend some of their new found wealth on plastic surgery, dentistry or wellness programs in Korea or Southeast Asia. Chinese medical tourists spent USD10 bn in 2014, only 2.3% of the global total, suggesting that there is a huge potential for further growth in the market. What can hospitals and governments do to tap into this opportunity? [image: Travel Daily News]