Digital health for rural diabetes care: Implementation experience from China and India

Table 1 Comparing context for digital diabetes care in China and India, 2021-2023

Domain	China	India	Ref.
Population, 2023			World Bank Development Indicators[45]
Total population (millions)	1410	1438
Population aged > 65 years (%)	14.2	6.8
GDP per capita (current United States $)	12614	2480
Gini coefficient	46.5	32.8
Diabetes prevalence, 2022			NCD Risk Factor Collaboration[1]
Adults with diabetes (millions)	148	212
Percentage of global diabetes cases (%)	18	26
Age-adjusted prevalence (%)	14.3	13.9
Rural context, 2021			World Bank Development Indicators[45]
Rural population (millions)	499	915
Rural population (% of total)	35.4	63.6
Rural population growth (annual%)	-2.9	0.11
Digital infrastructure, 2023
Rate of internet users, national estimates (%)	77.5	51.5	Statista[46,47]
Rate of internet users, rural areas estimates (%)	61.8	53	Cyberspace Administration of China[48], World Bank[49]
Healthcare System Context, 2021			WHO Global Health Observatory[44]
Life expectancy at birth	77.1	70.2
Physician density (per 10000 population)	25.2	7.3
Nurse density (per 10000 population)	33	17.3
Out-of-pocket expenditure (% of CHE)	34	50
Government health expenditure (% of GDP)	2.91	1.12
Premature mortality from NCDs (% probability)	16	22

NCDs: Non-communicable diseases; GDP: Gross domestic product; CHE: Current health expenditure.