Countries in the Asia Pacific spend, on average, 8% of GDP on health. A lot of that money goes to care provided in hospitals. In many cases, the money could be better spent by focusing on primary health care.
Primary health care makes populations healthier. It includes a range of health services, such as screening and treatment for common diseases, preventive care like vaccination and health information, and treatment for common, nonserious ailments like colds. Good primary health care services should be affordable, and provided close to where people live and work.
