Conclusions
Immense challenges are facing ASEAN countries in
ensuring UHC. The OOP payments are alarmingly high
in most ASEAN countries, and countries have been unable
to ensure sufficient human resources for health (HRH)
and health facilities and their distribution among more
disadvantaged provincial and district areas. The triple
disease burden and increasing inter and intra country
migration implies that flexibility and adaptation by the
region’s health systems is needed. Despite apparent
political commitments to UHC in most countries, actual
implementation and action have been understandably slow
or delayed, given the enormity of some of these challenges
(e.g. integrating SHI schemes and stepwise recruitment
to a unified UHC scheme in Indonesia).