Delivering Diabetes Awareness in China
As part of World Diabetes Day, Project HOPE conducted several diabetes awareness activities in China.
Date published: November 14, 2016
Over 98 million people are living with diabetes in China. Without proper treatment and education, complications with diabetes are far more frequent. Serious gaps in knowledge have been identified among China’s general practitioners and nurses. Project HOPE is working to focus on training health care professionals, increasing their knowledge and skills in diabetes diagnosis, treatment and care.
As part of World Diabetes Day, Project HOPE conducted several diabetes awareness activities in China including free screening for diabetes, free consultation, the distribution of hundreds of patient education brochures, and lectures delivered by physicians from Tianjin Medical University Metabolic Hospital (TMUMH), a Project HOPE program partner.
Dr. Chen Liming, President of TMUMH, and Dr. Chang Baocheng, Vice President, accompanied by other doctors and nurses provided free screening, consultations and education to over 100 community residents. Persons with abnormal test results were referred for further diagnosis. In addition, five Project HOPE trained community health service providers joined the team and played a role in counseling patients.
Lectures also took place in Wuqing, a rural district located in the northwest of Tianjin Municipality. Due to limited education and generally unhealthy lifestyles, approximately 17 percent of residents of Wuqing live with hypertension and 13 percent have type 2 diabetes.
As part of the World Diabetes Day events, Project HOPE trainee Dr. Wu Shujun delivered a lecture on healthy diets. Project HOPE Safe Medicine Program advisor, Dr. Zhang Jichun, delivered a lecture on the appropriate use of diabetes medicine, warning listeners that “health professionals are far more reliable than the so-called health products.”
On World Diabetes Day and every day, Project HOPE continues to work to improve knowledge and skills among the trained health care workers, to improve quality of diabetes care delivered by community health service centers, and to improve patient self-management skills.
Learn more about our work in China, here.
Learn more about our efforts to combat Diabetes, here.