The pressures placed on national healthcare systems by the recent demographic and epidemiological transitions are amplified by the growing demands of an increasingly educated and affluent population for high-quality healthcare. Many traditional health practices persist alongside the use of new medical technologies and pharmaceutical products, presenting regulatory problems in terms of safety and quality.
Countries in Southeast Asia and their health system reforms can thus be categorized according to the stages of development of their healthcare systems. A typology of common issues, challenges and priorities are generated for the diverse mix of health systems at different stages of socioeconomic development.
The 1990s began