For the region of East Asia I have chosen to look at two countries: Cambodia and South Korea. Both of these countries have a very unique set of health problems.

 

While there are many problems that Cambodian women are facing today, by far the biggest issue that they are facing is maternal deaths primarily affecting women ages between 15-46. 

 

Let’s look at the case of the province of Ratanakiri in north-east Cambodia. It is a remote , indigenous and isolated village that is bordered by Vietnam to the west and Laos to north. Access is limited especially in the wet season which makes it only accessible by small planes (Brown et al. 2006, 211).  People in this region have reported a significantly poorer level of heath that other Cambodians, and child and mortality rates are the highest in Cambodia. The mortality rates of infants and those under the age of five are 187 in every 1,000 and 231 in every 1,000 (Brown et al. 2006, 212). While there are no official statistics on the maternal aspects of health , research has indicated that the rate of maternal death is higher than the national average (Brown et al. 2006, 212).

 

The second country that I have chosen to look at is South Korea. Located in East Asia it is known for having one of the worse mental health problems in the modern world, however people routinely ignore the symptoms (OZY Live Curiously, 2018). Due to the stigma against these topics, it is very rare for people suffering from mental health challenges to seek medical advice and help as well as treatment. The women of Korea are no exception to this. 

 

South Koreans have been found to have higher levels of internalized stigma and more severe symptoms. For example, the idea of seeking treatment is heavily overshadowed due to the need to preserve the family’s honour as well as paying an expensive amount of money so that their treatment is not recorded on their medical insurance record.

 

The case of K-Pop sensation Kim Jong-hyun shone a much needed light on the mental health crisis. After his suicide a note was found in which he spoke about how much he struggled with depression and how he had tried to recover from it, but was unable to do so. “I’m broken from the inside, the depression that has slowly eaten away at me has finally consumed me, and I couldn’t beat it” (The Washington Post, 2017). In a recent report, the OECD said that I was concerned about the increase in suicides and psychiatric cases in the country.

 

If Jong-huyn’s death has done nothing else, it has helped the country recognize that it mental health is serious, and its associated challenges need to be addressed.