Fon Mathuros, Head of Media, Public Engagement, Tel.: +41 (0)79 201 0211; email: fmathuro@weforum.org
Jakarta, Indonesia, 20 April 2015 – Indonesia faces a potential total loss of $4.47 trillion from 2012 through 2030 due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and mental health conditions. This economic burden is part of a rising trend of NCDs in the country, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum.
The Economics of NCDs in Indonesia is a new addition to a report series from the Forum on the economics of NCDs, which aims to advance the understanding of the expected economic output loss at country level. Launched today at the World Economic Forum on East Asia, the report highlights increases in NCD prevalence in Indonesia – from 2004 to 2014 proportional mortality due to NCDs increased from 50.7% to 71%, and by 2030 the burden of diabetes cases alone will nearly double.
“NCDs are imposing a significant burden on Indonesia’s economy that will likely increase in the next two decades,” said Arnaud Bernaert, Senior Director, Global Health and Healthcare Industries at the World Economic Forum. “The positive news is that this trend can be reversed with interventions that promote the overall health status of a population, which we have found have proven return on investment for business, governments and society overall.”
Evidence of the success of such interventions to address NCDs is available. As part of its work on healthy living, the World Economic Forum reviewed six interventions targeting NCD prevention across geographies. An analysis of the return on investment for these interventions when implemented pointed to returns of between 90% and 3700%. The interventions include programming as diverse as:
In the first report in the Economics of NCDs series, interventions in India, such as screening for hypertension, vaccination for human papillomavirus and reducing tobacco use, were also found to yield promising health and economic returns.
At this week’s World Economic Forum in East Asia, health sessions will explore the findings of this latest report and will examine the cases of success in other countries, and will seek action-oriented solutions to address NCDs in Indonesia and East Asia.
Notes to Editors