# Southeast Asia must chart its own healthcare path

> Walgreens Boots Alliance's APAC head warns the region against copying America's expensive, inefficient model.
- Title: Southeast Asia must chart its own healthcare path · Fortune
- Summary: Walgreens Boots Alliance's APAC head warns the region against copying America's expensive, inefficient model.
- Keywords: walgreens boots alliance, li zhong, southeast asia, healthcare systems, community-based care, public-private partnerships, siloam hospitals, david utama, ihh healthcare, artificial intelligence, Fortune
- Source: Fortune — https://fortune.com/2026/11/06/southeast-asia-shouldnt-copy-the-u-s-healthcare-model
- Author: Angelica Ang
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: walgreens boots alliance, li zhong, southeast asia, healthcare systems, community-based care, public-private partnerships, siloam hospitals, david utama, ihh healthcare, artificial intelligence
## U.S. spends vastly more, with worse results
The U.S. pours roughly 17% of its GDP, or $5.6 trillion, into healthcare. Yet Americans have shorter healthspan than Vietnamese people, who spend just 4.6% of GDP on health.

> It saves your life, but it's not very healthy. That's not what I would suggest for Southeast Asia.
## Li Zhong warns against copying America
Li Zhong, APAC president of Walgreens Boots Alliance, told Fortune's Southeast Asia 500 Summit in Ho Chi Minh City on November 3 that Southeast Asia should not automatically reference the U.S. model.

> Every country is different and has to find its own route. What's not right is to automatically reference the U.S. model.
## Southeast Asia faces specialist shortage
Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are rapidly ageing, raising chronic disease incidence. Indonesia has just 0.2 specialists per 1,000 people, compared to Malaysia and Thailand at 0.5, and Singapore at 1.2.

> The scarcity of specialists is becoming a burden.
## Community care and pharmacies offer solutions
IHH Healthcare operates over fifty primary care clinics under Parkway Shenton. Siloam Hospitals is building primary care clinics across Indonesia. Pharmacies can expand their role, as the UK's NHS Pharmacy First scheme demonstrates in England.

> It's more cost-efficient to utilize community healthcare centers and pharmacies to help with everyday healthcare.
## AI and partnerships drive the future
Both experts agreed public-private partnerships and AI are Southeast Asia's best path to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Siloam Hospitals is building an AI platform to predict patient deterioration thirty minutes before it occurs, enabling early intervention.

> For us to leapfrog, we need to adopt technology.
## Key takeaway

Li Zhong of Walgreens Boots Alliance told Southeast Asian leaders the U.S. healthcare model, which spends 17% of GDP, should not be replicated; the region should instead build community-based care with public-private partnerships.