ASEAN Health Crisis: Deaths Rise From Heart‍ Disease, Mental Illness

Updated may 28, 2025
‍⁣

Southeast Asia faces a growing health crisis, with mental illness, heart disease, and tobacco use considerably ⁤increasing deaths and disabilities across the region. A new study by⁤ the Institute ⁣for health Metrics and Evaluation and the national University of Singapore, published in The ‍Lancet Public Health, examined health trends in the 10 ASEAN countries from 1990 to 2021.

The‍ research, part of the Global ⁣Burden of⁤ Disease ⁤Study 2021, reveals a dramatic rise in‍ disease burden across various risk factors and age ⁣groups.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) includes Brunei darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,⁣ Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. As of 2024, ASEAN’s combined population is ⁤678 million.

Mental Health Burden Soars

More than 80 million people in ‍ASEAN now live with mental disorders, a 70% increase since 1990. Anxiety disorders⁢ are the most prevalent.⁣ The ⁤mental health⁣ burden has disproportionately affected children, teenagers, older adults, and women. The 15-19 age group saw the most important rise. Among adolescents aged 10-19,mental disorders account for ‍over a quarter of ‍the disease⁢ burden in high-income ASEAN countries,with⁣ Singapore⁣ reporting the highest rates. While prevalence among those 70 and ‍older increased less than 3%, the absolute number of affected older adults jumped by 183%.

Heart Disease: The⁣ Top Killer

Cardiovascular⁢ disease‍ (CVD) has become the leading cause of death and disability in ASEAN, affecting ⁢37 million people and causing 1.7 million deaths in 2021. Cases rose by 148% from 1990 to 2021,while prevalence⁣ increased by 3%. Death rates from CVD in⁢ Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia exceeded the global average. Men experienced higher rates of both disease and mortality than women. Ischemic heart disease, stroke, ⁤and peripheral artery disease where the most common forms, with high blood pressure, poor diet, air pollution, and smoking as major contributing factors.

Tobacco Use Persists

Despite some progress, the number of smokers in ASEAN has increased by 63% since 1990, reaching 137 million in 2021, about 12% of⁣ global smokers. Smoking is widespread among men, with nearly half of adult men smoking ⁣across the ⁣region and 58% in ⁤Indonesia. Youth smoking is rising, especially in Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. ⁢In Malaysia, 20% of boys aged 10-14 smoke. Smoking-related illnesses caused over half a million deaths in 2021, an increase of 231,000‍ since 1990, with ischemic heart disease, stroke, and chronic lung disease as the primary causes.

Injuries and Accidents

Accidental and intentional⁣ injuries continue to contribute to death and disability. Road injuries are ‍the most ⁢common cause of injury-related deaths,especially in Thailand and⁣ Malaysia. Falls, self-harm, drownings, and violence also pose significant health threats. Self-harm was the leading injury-related cause of death⁢ in Singapore and a major‍ cause in other countries. ⁣Children aged 5-9,especially girls,face the highest risk from drowning and falls.

What’s next

Researchers ⁤warn that ⁢without ⁢immediate action, these preventable causes of⁤ death and disability will worsen as the region’s population ages and economies develop. Urgent intervention ‍is needed⁣ to address the growing health crisis in ASEAN.