Global disposable medical gloves market to reach US$4 billion by 2017, says report

Global Industry Analysts (GIA) projects in a report that the global market for disposable medical gloves will reach US$4.0 billion by 2017, driven primarily by rising emphasis on health, occupational safety, and hygiene among end-users in the healthcare market.

According to the report titled "Disposable Medical Gloves - A Global Strategic Business Report", despite the challenging economic conditions worldwide, the disposable medical gloves market continues to post positive growth primarily attributed to the inherent intrinsic indispensability of the product among surgeons, practitioners, and healthcare workers.

Currently, there exists immense opportunities for growth in the disposable medical gloves market given the fact that dozens of pairs of medical gloves are used in a single day in hospitals and laboratory settings. Further, a vast portion of the global market still remains untapped with Asia and Latin America holding the highest potential for disposable medical gloves. Over the years, regulatory frameworks and concerns such as worker safety and welfare have contributed to market growth across the globe. Increase in global population and rise in personal and occupational hygiene standards amid outbreak of various infections such as avian flu, SARS and HIV continue to sustain market growth.

As stated by the new market research report, the US continues to remain the largest regional market. Asia-Pacific constitutes the fastest growing market for medical gloves. The Asian medical glove industry is beginning to witness major changes in end-user preferences, brand positioning, and competition. With growing demand for powder-free and synthetic gloves in domestic and foreign markets, Asian manufacturers are beginning to diversify their product portfolio to incorporate powder free medical gloves. Rising awareness regarding latex caused allergens, and increased innovation, and technology breakthroughs in synthetic variants together are expected to sustain growth of the surgical gloves market.

The report also reveals that major players in the marketplace include Ansell Healthcare, B Braun Melsungen AG, Cardinal Health, Inc, Cypress Medical Products, Dynarex Corporation, Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Medline Industries, Molnlycke Health Care, Microflex Medical Corp, Paul Hartmann AG, Siam Sempermed Corporation Ltd, Semperit AG Holding, Supermax Corporation Berhad, among others.