The Outlook for Medical Device Markets in Central Asia is published by Espicom Business Intelligence. Each report provides an individual and highly-detailed analysis of each market, looking at the key regulatory, political, economic and corporate developments in the wider context of market structure, service and access. The reports are available individually or as a discounted collection. 4 Key Markets Covered!
Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan

Highlights from the region
INDIA
In 2005, GDP increased by 8.5% to US$797.5 billion, equivalent to around US$738 per capita. Real growth in 2006 is estimated at 8.7%. GDP for the year is around US$875.9 billion; around US$788 per capita.

In his 2006/07 budget speech in February 2006, India's Finance Minister, Palaniappan Chidambaram referred to the Central Statistical Office figures for 2004/05, which estimated growth at 7.5% for the year. For 2006, growth was expected to be 8.1%. Inflation, which had reached a high of 8.7% in August 2004, had been reduced to 5.0% by February 2005 and was down to 4.0% by February 2006.

As the country develops, India has a growing middle class population with access to high quality healthcare in some of the best private healthcare facilities in the world. Leading business and healthcare providers are also striving to make India an international health resort, with an airport to airport concept of health tourism. In 2004, the Maharashtra state government established a Medical Tourism Council to try to attract more foreign medical patients, the main incentive being India's comparatively low costs, quoted at around one fifth of those in the West.

CHINA
Since opening its economy to the West in the late 1970s, China has experienced rapid growth. In 2006, China's GDP reached US$2,532 billion. While this makes China one of the world's larger economies, the sheer size of the population means that per capita wealth is very low, at around US$1,920 in 2006.

Healthcare provision is extremely uneven. It is best in the towns and cities; many rural areas have very little provision, following the near total decay of the Communist rural healthcare system. Even in richer areas, public funding is very low, and most care is paid for by the patient. Hospitals and clinics earn a large percentage of their income from patient payments.

The Chinese medical device market is largely supplied by imports or products made locally by multinational joint ventures, especially at the higher end of the technology scale. Local companies are usually small and undercapitalised by Western standards.

PAKISTAN
Suspension of international aid in 2001 dealt Pakistan a significant blow economically, although recovery is under way. GDP growth for 2006 is estimated at 5.4% and forecasts for 2007 place growth at around 6.1%.

The healthcare sector is poorly funded by the government and the private sector, such as it is, is only affordable to a small minority of the population. Hospital and health centre facilities are rudimentary in the majority of cases and badly equipped. The primary sector is underused and per capita medical personnel levels are low.

Surgical instruments make up the bulk of a limited domestic manufacturing sector. This takes place in facilities in the Punjab region of Sialkot and equipment is of a high standard, although the majority is destined for export overseas.

BANGLADESH
Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world. GDP in 2007 was estimated at US$62.6 billion, equal to US$425 per capita. Real GDP growth was 6.0% in 2007, down from the 6.7% growth in 2006. Real GDP growth for 2008 is expected to decline marginally but is provisionally predicted to rise to around 6.0% by 2009 and remain fairly stable thereafter.

Given the country's lack of spending power, the medical equipment market, at around US$100 million, remains tiny in comparison with the size of the population. Steadily improving economic performance, combined with a general determination to boost the quality of healthcare, should lead to steady, if unspectacular, market growth.

Imports in 2005 grew impressively, increasing by almost two thirds compared to 2004, almost a four-fold increase over 2001. The majority of these comprised of more expensive X-ray equipment which may herald an improvement in Bangladeshi facilities. There is very little local production of medical equipment, so the market is heavily reliant on imports, often supplied in conjunction with aid projects
..... FOR EVERY MARKET


MARKET OUTLOOK
Current market size
Unique 5-Year market projections to 2012
Market outlook
Market structure
Statistical data on imports and exports
Market developments, covering recent and impending developments with respect to key issues such as regulation, health facilities, funding and
government policy
Key national data projections
International market comparisons


FOR EVERY MARKET BACKGROUND DATA
Population data, including growth trends and age structure
Demographic indicators detailing principal causes of death and morbidity

HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Organisation & administration
Health expenditure
Expenditure by source of funding and type
Hospital services
Hospital data such as beds by type, region, specialty, patient admissions and surgical procedures
Outpatient care
Medical personnel
Data on healthcare professionals covering such areas as doctors by specialty, nursing staff and dentists

ACCESSING THE MEDICAL MARKET
Regulatory environment
Distribution guide and trade fair information
Domestic production

CONTACT DETAILS
For healthcare organisations and trade
associations