Myanmar Healthcare Report 2013-2014: A Look Into Myanmar's Emerging Healthcare Sector

Benjamin Shobert

Jul 2014 · Health Intelligence Asia LLC & Rubicon Strategy Group LLC

About this ebook

Bangkok, Thailand, June 25, 2014 – The market study by Rubicon Strategy Group provides an extensive market overview based on on-the-ground surveys and interviews with business leaders, consumers and customers (pharmacies, drugstores, hospitals and doctors). Part of Rubicon's ‘Asia Market Series’, it is the first publication that uncovers the opportunities for healthcare companies to expand to Myanmar.

The country opening up and the ASEAN Economic Community becoming reality in 2015 are expected to spur growth for healthcare companies and Market Expansion Services providers in Myanmar. According to Rubicon’s study, consumer spending on over-the-counter healthcare products is anticipated to grow three-to-four-times in size, from about USD 140 million in 2013 to USD 480 million by 2020.

The research further shows that the medical devices market in Myanmar is anticipated to grow threefold by 2020. Meanwhile, eight out of ten ofMyanmar’s consumers are willing to spend more on healthcare products and services if they have access to better options.

The strong overall market growth is partly driven by the vast increase in government spending on pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Specialty products, in particular cardiovascular, diabetes and oncology products are expected to experience high growth rates for the next years.

Challenges to enter the Myanmar healthcare market however remain. Comparing the healthcare systems worldwide, Myanmar was recently ranked 190th and last by the World Health Organization (WHO). Rubicon’s study confirms that collaborating with a local distribution partner is the only viable means of efficiently accessing the market in Myanmar. This is due to Myanmar’s opaque regulatory environment, the abundance of counterfeit products, complex channels to market and the extremely fragmented point of sale network.

Dr. Varun Sethi, DKSH's General Manager, Business Unit Healthcare in Myanmar, said: “With the opening of Asia’s economy, Myanmar offers great potential for healthcare companies. Companies intending to expand in Myanmar should look for an experienced partner with the knowledge and connections to reach a broad range of channels and consumers. With our 15 years of experience in Myanmar and almost 150 years in Asia, DKSH is well-positioned to help companies explore the opportunities in Myanmar.”

The study results are captured in the 115-page Myanmar healthcare report, which provides an extensive
market overview and insights for healthcare companies exploring
opportunities in the country. The full report is available online on Health Intel Asia.

About Rubicon Strategy Group

Rubicon
Strategy Group is a boutique consulting firm specialized in market
access work for emerging economies in the healthcare, biotech and senior
care industries. Rubicon has a focus on China and has completed
research and market access projects in the pharmaceutical, private
hospital, senior housing and home healthcare sectors in China.

About DKSH

DKSH
is the leading Market Expansion Services provider with a focus on Asia.
As the term "Market Expansion Services" suggests, DKSH helps other
companies and brands to grow their business in new or existing markets.

Publicly
listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since March 2012, DKSH is a global
company headquartered in Zurich. With 735 business locations in 35
countries – 710 of them in Asia – and 26,700 specialized staff, DKSH
generated net sales of CHF 9.6 billion in 2013.

DKSH Business Unit Healthcare


is the leading Market Expansion Services provider for healthcare
companies seeking to grow their business in Asia. Custom-made offerings
comprise registration and market entry studies as well as importation,
customs clearance, marketing and sales to physical distribution,
invoicing and cash collection. Products available through DKSH
Healthcare include ethical pharmaceuticals, consumer health,
over-the-counter (OTC), as well as medical devices. With 150 business
locations in 14 countries and around 9,050 specialized staff, Business
Unit Healthcare serves over 160,000 customers and generated net sales of
around CHF 4.3 billion in 2013.

Ratings and reviews

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About the author

Benjamin Shobert is Senior Associate for International Health at NBR. He advises and contributes to NBR research programs on international health in Asia.

Mr. Shobert is also the Founder and Managing Director of Seattle-based Rubicon Strategy Group, a boutique consulting firm that specializes in market access work in China's healthcare, life science, and senior care industries. In 2013, Rubicon completed the first syndicated research report on Myanmar's healthcare system. For six years, Mr. Shobert wrote a column for the Asia Times on U.S.-China trade and economic policy with a particular focus on how relations between the two countries were impacted after the 2008 financial crisis. His works have been featured at CNBC, China Business Review, Forbes China, and Harvard Asia Quarterly. Mr. Shobert is also a contributor to the forthcoming new book, The Global Obama.

Mr. Shobert serves on the advisory boards of the Indiana University’s Research Center on Chinese Politics and Business and the IAHSA-China (The Global Aging Network). He is a member of the National Committee on United States–China Relations and the Pacific Council on International Policy. Mr. Shobert holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.