2018 Health SDG Profile:
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Last updated October, 2018
35
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Monitoring progress on universal health coverage and the health-related
Sustainable Development Goals in the South-East Asia Region: 2018 update UHC services coverage index of essential health services
Public spending on health is determined by the capacity of the government to raise revenues and allocate it to health.
Financial protection is measured through two indicators:
(1) impoverishment, and (2) catastrophic health expenditure.
Impoverishment: Insufficient data
Catastrophic expenditure on health: Insufficient data A summary measure of essential health services coverage, a
composite service coverage index, is used:16 indicators are derived from four main areas of work: (1) reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health; (2) infectious diseases; (3) noncommunicable diseases;
(4) service capacity, access and health security.
Family planning
coverage⁴ Pregnancy care⁴ Care seeking behaviour suspected
pneumonia⁴
Child immunization coverage (DTP3)⁵ 0
50 100
Coverage (%) 100
71 80 96
Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health
Out-of-pocket expenditure In most cases, high percentage of out-of-pocket expenditure out of the total health expenditure is associated with low financial protection.
Life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth³ provides an indication of overall mortality of a country's population. In Democratic People's Republic of Korea, from 2000 (65.4 years) to 2016 (71.9 years), the life expectancy at birth has improved by 6.5 years.
Healthy life expectancy³ reflects overall health of the country's population. In Democratic People's Republic of Korea, from 2000
(58.7 years) to 2016 (64.6 years), healthy life expectancy has improved by 5.9 years.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Universal health coverage: At the centre of the health goal
The goal of universal health coverage (UHC) is that all people and communities receive the health care they need, without suffering financial hardship. Monitoring UHC requires measuring health service coverage and financial protection (SDG target 3.8).
Population (000s)¹
25 611
Monitoring the health SDG goal: Indicators of overall progress
Urban population² 61.7%
Poverty
Relevant data is not available
GDP per capita
(Current US$)
Relevant data is not available
Total health expenditure as share of GDP
Relevant data is not available
2000 2007 2015 2016
0 50 100
Age (years)
59 65
65 72
Life expectancy at birth Healthy life expectancy
FINANCIAL PROTECTION
To provide a summary measure of coverage, an index of national service coverage is computed by averaging service coverage values across the 16 tracer indicators. The UHC coverage index ranges from 0% to 100%, with 100% implying full coverage across a range of
services. UHC services coverage Index
0 50 100
Coverage (%) 78
UHC services coverage index
Latest available data (2010-2017)
HIV antiretroviral therapy
coverage Insecticide-treated bednets/indoor residual
spray coverage for malaria prevention⁶
Access to basic
sanitation⁷ (%) Tuberculosis treatment Coverage⁸ 0
50 100
Coverage (%)
30
77 87
Infectious diseases
HEALTH SERVICE COVERAGE
Prevalence of normal blood pressure in
population⁷
Cervical cancer
screening Tobacco non-use Prevalence of normal fasting glucose level⁷ 0
50 100
Coverage (%)
82 94
Noncommunicable diseases
Current data are insufficient for analysis Current data are insufficient for analysis (ppp < $1.90 a day)
This profile provides an overview of the current status of achieving better health towards the 13 targets under the Sustainable Development Goal #3 (SDG3):
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. 25 SDG3 indicators plus other selected
health-related indicators are presented where data is available.
Health security:IHR
compliance⁷ Density of hospital beds⁹ , expressed as
% of global threshold, 18/10 000
Heath worker density¹⁰, expressed
as % of new global threshold, 44.5/10 000
Access to essential medicines 0
50 100
Coverage (%) 100 100
67
Service capacity and access
(ppp < $1.90 a day) (ppp < $1.90 a day)
2018 Health SDG Profile: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
36
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Monitoring progress on universal health coverage and the health-relatedSustainable Development Goals in the South-East Asia Region: 2018 update
SDG 3: Health targets
Maternal and child mortality(SDG target 3.1, 3.2) Maternal mortality ratio¹²
2000 2005 2010 2015
0 250 500 750
MMR [100 000 live births ]
128
82
Births attended by skilled health personnel⁴
2009 2010 2016
0 50 100
Coverage (%)
100 97 100
2000 2005 2010 2015 2016 0
50 100 150
MR [1000 live births]
27
11 60
20
Child mortality¹²
Children under-five Neonatal
SDGs emphasis on equity
SDG target 17.18 emphasizes the need for disaggregated data. By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts.
Leaving no one behind
Variation by geography
SDGs emphasis on mortality statistics
More reliable vital statistics on births, deaths and causes of death from civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems are required for reporting on 14 health-related SDG mortality indicators. Understanding better what people are dying from can lead to stronger health policies and plans, and improve monitoring of the health-related SDGs
Strengthening Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS)
Variation by sex Variation by education
Urban Rural
2005 2010
Year 2005 2010
Year 0
50 100
Percentage
89.6 83.8
Postnatal care (with in 48 hrs)⁴
Urban Rural
2005 2010 Year
2005 2010 Year 0
50 100
Percentage
93.4
57.0 Under five children with symptoms of
Pneumonia treated with antibiotics⁴
Male Female
2005 2010 Year
2005 2010 Year 0
10 20 30
Percentage
32.4 32.4
Stunting⁴
Male Female
2005 2010 Year
2005 2010 Year 0
50 100
Percentage
85.8 80.3
Under five children with symptoms of Pneumonia treated with antibiotics by sex⁴
secondary secondary+
2005 2010 Year
2005 2010 Year 0
50 100
Percentage
100.0 80.5
100.0 96.5 Antenatal care coverage⁴
Secondary school Secondary school +
2005 2010 Year
2005 2010 Year 0
50 100
Percentage
88.2 92.7
Breast feeding⁴
2000 2005 2010 2015
Year 0
50 100
Percentage
Birth registration¹¹
2000 2005 2010 2015
Year 0
20 40 60 80
Percentage
Death registration¹¹
2000 2005 2010 2015
Year 0
20 40 60 80
Percentage
Cause of Death³
2018 Health SDG Profile: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
37
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Monitoring progress on universal health coverage and the health-related
Sustainable Development Goals in the South-East Asia Region: 2018 update
Current data are insufficient to determine trend
Malaria incidence⁶
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 0
5 10
Malaria IR [1000 pop. at risk]
Total alcohol per capita (age 15+ years) consumption³
2003 2008 2010 2015 2016
0 3 6 9
Litres
3.3
3.9
New HIV infections among adults
15 to 49 years Indicators Year DPRK Regional
estimate Hepatitis B
surface antigen prevalance among children under 5 years³ (%)
2015 0.53
Number of people requiring interventions against neglected tropical diseases³
2016 5,214,937
0.70
671,797,672 Communicable diseases (SDG target 3.3)
TB incidence⁸
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 0
200 400 600
TB incidence [100 000 pop.]
513
Indicators SDG
target Year DPRK Regional
estimate Mortality between 30 and 70 years
of age from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory diseases³ (%)
3.4.1 2016 25.6 23.1
Noncommunicable diseases and injuries
Proportion of married or in-union women of reproductive age who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods³ (%)
3.7.1 2007-17 -
Adolescent birth rate³ (per 1000
women aged 15 to 19 years) 3.7.2 2008 0.7
75.1
33.0 Sexual and reproductive health
Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air
pollution³ (per 100 000 population) 3.9.1 2016 207.2 Mortality rate attributed to exposure
to unsafe WASH services³
(per 100 000 population) 3.9.2 2016 1.4
Mortality rate attributed to unintentional poisoning³
(per 100 000 population) 3.9.3 2016 1.9
164
15.4
1.8 Mortality due to environmental pollution
Tobacco use among persons and
older - Female 3.a.1 - -
Tobacco use among persons and
older - Male 3.a.1 - -
-
- Tobacco use
Proportion of the population with access to affordable medicines and
vaccines on a sustainable basis 3.b.1 - -
Total net official development assistance to medical research and
basic health per capita³ 3.b.2 2016 0.9
-
- Essential medicines and vaccines
Health worker density¹⁰
(per 10 000 population) 3.c.1 2016 81 -
Health workforce
Malaria incidence is calculated for confirmed malaria cases
International Health Regulations
Core Capacity Index⁹ 3.d.1 2017 67 73
National and global health risks
Current data are insufficient to determine trend
Note: A dash (-) implies relevant data are not available
0.93 0.5
2000 2005 2010 2015
0 250 500 750 1000 1250 1500
Total NCD mortality rate (per 100 000 pop)
Total NCD Mortality rate⁹
Female Male
Suicide mortality rate³
(per 100 000 population) 3.4.2 2016 -
Total alcohol per capita (age 15+
years) consumption³ 3.5.2 2016 3.9
Mortality rate from road traffic
injuries³ (per 100 000 population) 3.6.1 2016 20.8
13.2 4.5 17.0
Adolescent birth rate (per 1000 women aged 15 10 19 years)
2018 Health SDG Profile: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
38
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Monitoring progress on universal health coverage and the health-relatedSustainable Development Goals in the South-East Asia Region: 2018 update Prevalence of children under 5 years who are
overweight⁴
2004 2014
0 7.5 15
Proportion (%)
0
Prevalence of wasting in children under 5 years of age⁴
2004 2014
0 25 50
Proportion (%)
4.0 8.5
Prevalence of stunting in children under 5 years of age⁴
2004 2014
0 50 100
Proportion (%)
27.9 43.1
Other health-related SDGs
Proportion of population using improved
drinking water sources³ 6.1 2015 -
Proportion of population using improved
sanitation³ 6.2 2015 -
- - Drinking water services and sanitation
Proportion of population with primary
reliance on clean fuel³ 7.1 2016 11 41
Clean household energy
Air pollution level in cities³ (PM 2.5)
(µg/m³) 11.6.2 2016 31.0 57.3
Ambient air pollution
Number of deaths by disaster³ (per 100
000 people) 13.1.2 2016 0.30 0.2
Natural disasters
Mortality rate due to homicide³
(per 100 000 population) 16.1.1 2016 4.4
Estimated direct deaths from major
conflicts³ (per 100 000 population) 16.1.2 2011-2015 <0.1
4.1 0.1 Homicide and conflicts
Birth registration coverage¹² 16.9.1 2009 100 -
Birth registration
Note: A dash (-) implies relevant data are not available
Indicators SDG
target Year DPRK Regionalestimate General government health expenditure as
% of general government expenditure³ 1.a 2015 - 8.5
General government health expenditure
Completeness of cause-of-death data³ (%) 17.19.2 2016 - 10 Cause-of-death data
Children under 5 years who are stunted³ 2.2.1 2014 27.9 Children under 5 years who are wasted³ 2.2.2 2014 4.0 Children under 5 years who are overweight³ 2.2.3 2014 0.0
33.0 15.2 3.4 Child nutrition
References
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(http://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_health_statistics/2018/en/, accessed 9 July 2018).
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5. WHO vaccine-preventable diseases: monitoring system. 2018 global summary. Geneva: World Health Organization(http://apps.who.int/immunization_monitor- ing/globalsummary/countries?countrycriteria%5Bcountry%5D%5B%5D=TLS&commit=OK, accessed 9 July 2018).
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10. Country reported (as provided by RA-HRH) – accessed 20 June 2018.
11. Regional action framework on civil registration and vital statistics in Asia and the Pacific. Bangkok: UNESCAP
(https://www.unescap.org/resources/regional-action-framework-civil-registration-and-vital-statistics-asia-and-pacific, accessed 9 July 2018).
12. Levels & trends in child mortality: report 2015: estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation. New York (NY), Geneva and Washington (DC): UNICEF, World Health Organization, World Bank, United Nation; 2015 (http://www.childinfo.org/, accessed 9 July 2018).
13. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017). World Fertility Data 2017 http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/theme/fertility/index.shtml - accessed 20 June 2018 14. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017). World Fertility Data 2017 http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/theme/fertility/index.shtml - accessed 20 June 2018
