A palpable excitement was in the air as hundreds of patient advocates, researchers, investors, and policymakers gathered in America’s financial capital in November with a clear focus – to save lives by speeding up and improving the U.S. medical research system.
With more than 10,000 known diseases affecting our world and viable treatments for only 500 of them, the shared purpose of the annual Faster Cures conference attendees is critical to both China and the United States – to foster the collaboration needed to speed medical progress and improve health outcomes. The non-profit organization Faster Cures is a center of the Milken Institute, an independent economic think tank, where I serve as the non-partisan think tank’s first Asia Fellow.
In Asia, governments remain vigilant in their focus on infectious diseases such as dengue fever, cholera and malaria as well as emerging threats like the Zika virus or the potential for the return of past dangers like the SARS virus in China. Yet, collaboration and commitment are also necessary in the face of a growing, “non-infectious” threat to China’s health and well-being.
That threat is the rise of so-called “lifestyle diseases.” Diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease impact the health of citizens of both developed and developing nations in ever-larger numbers. Changing diets and increasingly urbanized and sedentary lives, as in the United States, are driving an increase in the prevalence of such non-communicable diseases in China and elsewhere in Asia.
Asia’s developing nations have reduced mortality rates over the last 30 years as public health experts have focused on infectious disease. Child mortality rates are down. More infants are surviving childbirth, as are their mothers. People are living longer in India and China, representing the vast majority of Asia's population.
These and other nations, however, must focus too on lifestyle-related health worries. World Health Organization data show dramatic increases in diabetes and heart disease as Asia has grown richer. Even China’s poorest neighbors such as Cambodia, Laos and Bhutan are seeing lifestyle diseases take their toll.
A recent Milken Institute Asia Center report makes clear that poor nutrition and obesity pose a severe public health challenge across large parts of Asia, taxing public health systems and posing significant risks for future generations.
WHO data underscores the challenge. According to a March 2016 report, the number of adults living with diabetes globally has increased to 422 million from 108 million in 1980. The western Pacific region, including China and Japan, now accounts for 131 million of that number.
Diabetes is expected to be the world’s 7th largest killer by 2030 if present trends continue without interventions.
While 60 percent of U.S., British and even Australian adults are now classified as overweight, developing-Asia has some fairly heavy-weight concerns of its own. In Southeast Asia, Malaysia leads with some 37% deemed overweight. Thailand follows with some 31.6%, according to the WHO. Malaysia has also now surpassed the United States when it comes to the percentage suffering from diabetes.
Governments, business and development banks, and aid agencies have helped reduce the spread of infectious diseases by addressing Asia’s infrastructure shortcomings – including a lack of sufficient water supply, sanitation and waste management systems. Now, they must partner to address the growing lifestyle disease challenge.
Public health education will play a critical role in helping both China and the United States' consumers understand the consequences on their health of poor eating habits along with reduced exercise and physical activity. Good nutrition must be made both accessible and understandable.
Businesses in both nations also must take more responsibility for the health consequences of the products and services. Restaurants and food providers voluntarily offering calorie information and smaller portion options will benefit responsible businesses, possibly forestalling costly government mandates and labeling requirements.
Among the United Nations’ 17 new “Sustainable Development Goals” is a target of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. Ultimately. Meeting this healthy lifestyle goal of the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development must include cutting through the roadblocks that slow medical progress and improve healthcare results.
As underscored by the most recent Faster Cures conference, impacting health outcomes will require the spurring of cross-sector collaboration, cultivating a culture of innovation and engaging patients as partners in their own care.
Medical research as well as the delivery of healthcare can be complex, inefficient, and underfunded.
In both the United States and China, leaders in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors must embrace a policy approach that speeds a more effective response to both infectious and lifestyle diseases. Doing so will smooth continued growth and prosperity, and help pave the way for a healthier and wealthier world.
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Curtis S. Chin, a former U.S. Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank, is managing director of advisory firm RiverPeak Group, LLC. He is also the first Asian fellow at the Milken Institute.