TABLE 1.
Summary of the demographic features and healthcare indices of the countries in the South Asian region
| Demographical data | Afghanistan | Bangladesh | Bhutan | India | Maldives | Myanmar | Nepal | Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth rate Per 1000 31 | 32 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 28 | 16 |
| Size of birth cohort (million) 32 | 1.08 | 3.04 | 0.01 | 25.6 | 0.06 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 5.4 | 0.3 |
| GDP (Billion USD) 33 | 19.29 | 30.25 | 2.53 | 2869 | 5.64 | 76 | 30.64 | 270 | 84 |
| *Per capita Income (USD) 34 | 507.1 | 1855.7 | 3316.2 | 2099.6 | 10 626.5 | 1407.8 | 1071.1 | 1284.7 | 3853.1 |
| Government expenditure on health (% of government expenditure) 35 | 1.8 | 2.98 | 7.61 | 3.39 | 9.41 b | 3.79 | 4.58 | 5.26 | 8.29 |
| Availability of free health care | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes a | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Healthcare indices | |||||||||
| Neonatal mortality (per 1000 live births) 36 | 35.9 | 19.1 | 16.6 | 21.7 | 4.9 | 22.4 | 19.8 | 41.2 | 4.3 |
| Infant mortality (per 1000 live births) 37 | 46.5 | 25.6 | 23.8 | 28.3 | 7.1 b | 35.76 | 25.8 | 55.7 | 6.1 |
| Exclusive breastfeeding rates for 6 months (%) 38 | 58 | 55 | 51.3 | 54.9 | 64 | 51.2 | 65 | 48 | 82 |
| DTP3 immunization coverage (%) 32 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 85 | 85 b | 91 | 91 | 72 | 99 |
| Unattended home delivery percentage (%) 39 | 49 | 47 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 40 | 42 | 31 | 0 |
| Literacy rate (adult) (2016‐18) 40 | 43 | 73.9 | 66.6 | 74.4 | 97.7 | 75.6 | 67.9 | 59.1 | 91.7 |
a
Limited to those below poverty line only.
b
Ministry of Health (MOH) [Maldives] and ICF. 2018. Maldives Demographic and Health Survey 2016‐17. Malé, Maldives, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: MOH and ICF.