• Over half (53%) of citizens surveyed across 13 Asian countries are so overwhelmed by available health and wellness information they don’t know what to focus on
• Social media is the leading source of such information, far overshadowing that sought from health authorities and other formal medicine
• Financial considerations constrain 56% of respondents—and more in less developed countries—from taking action to improve their personal health and wellness
• Digital health ecosystems, supported by open and fair data governance, can improve health information audiences and support health management

The inaugural Pulse of Asia: Health of Asia Barometer report from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), supported by Prudential Corporation Asia (Prudential), found considerable awareness among people living in Asia of the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle, but several constraints on their ability to pursue that goal. Some of the constraints are financial, and others involve limited access to exercise or other, health and wellness facilities. Although health and wellness information is widely available, its quality can sometimes leave much to be desired, further limiting people’s ability to improve their wellbeing.

The Health of Asia Barometer report is based on a survey of 5,000 people from 13 countries and territories in Asia: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The respondents range in age between 21 and 55 years and are split roughly evenly between males and females.

A strong desire to improve their personal health is evident among respondents, something very likely influenced to some degree by the covid-19 pandemic. For example, more than half took multiple steps to improve their health in the three months preceding the survey (conducted in August and September 2020). Exercising more and changes in diet were the most common steps taken, but many people have also sought to improve their emotional well-being as greater stress and anxiety have taken a toll during the crisis.

The study also finds that citizens are using a wide variety of digital tools to monitor aspects of their health, including blood pressure monitors, smart watches and smart thermometers. While undoubtedly useful, the utility of these tools, for individuals and for health authorities, could be enhanced if connected to a digital health ecosystem which includes centralised repositories of information.

Charles Ross, the editor of the report, said: “There has been no shortage of initiatives in this region to educate citizens about the link between their lifestyles and incidence of disease. But governments and other healthcare actors need to become smarter in their outreach to ensure that people are provided not just with sufficient but also high-quality health and wellness information. Digital technology and connected data are integral to such efforts, but partnerships involving the private sector also have a role to play.”