The health care systems of China and India: performance and future challenges

Abstract

Both China and India have recently committed to injecting new public funds into health care. Both countries are now deciding how best to channel the additional funds to produce benefits for their populations. In this paper we analyze how well the health care systems of China and India have performed and what determines their performance. Based on the analysis, we suggest that money alone, channeled through insurance and infrastructure strengthening, is inadequate to address the current problems of unaffordable health care and heavy financial risk, and the future challenges posed by aging populations that are increasingly affected by noncommunicable diseases.