The government of Bhutan places huge importance on people’s health, one of the nine domains the small Himalayan kingdom measures in gauging its people’s happiness.
But despite free access to public health services and an expanding number of health facilities across the country, Bhutan still suffers from a multitude of health issues.
One of the government’s biggest concerns is the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases. An estimated 42.4 percent of the population consume alcohol, significantly higher compared with some of its neighbors that conducted similar surveys in the past five years. An estimated 28.6 percent of the population drink alcohol in East Timor, 19.8 percent in Myanmar, and 17.9 percent in Sri Lanka. Additionally, about 67 percent of the population in Bhutan are not consuming enough servings of fruits and vegetables, according to the country’s latest health bulletin. Instead, adult Bhutanese are eating more food high in salt content, averaging 9 grams a day, almost double the World Health Organization's recommended amount of less than 5 grams.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
