Project HOPE and AstraZeneca to Launch Three-Year Community-based Diabetes Total Care Innovation Pilot Program in China
Project HOPE and AstraZeneca announced today a three-year, first of its kind partnership to develop a diabetes education and care program in China – the Community-based Diabetes Total Care Innovation Program.
Partnership will improve healthcare professionals’ capacity in diabetes education and care at primary health facilities in China
Project HOPE and AstraZeneca announced today a three-year, first of its kind partnership to develop a diabetes education and care program in China – the Community-based Diabetes Total Care Innovation Program. With the full support of both the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), as well as provincial Health and Family Planning Commissions (HFPC), the program will be piloted in Tianjin as well as several other select provinces and cities, with the goal of building primary healthcare capacity in diabetes education, diagnosis and treatment to ultimately improve patients’ healthcare in China.
Diabetes is on the rise in the world. According to statistics released by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), China currently has the highest number of individuals with diabetes. A joint study by the IDF and the Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS) indicated that expenses totaling RMB 173.4 billion were directly related to diabetes, accounting for approximately 13 percent of total medical expenditure in China. As a result, diabetes has been recognized by the Chinese government as a serious long-term medical challenge for the national healthcare system.
The Report on the Work of the Government for 2014 stated that the Chinese government is determined to build strong care facilities to better support patients suffering from chronic diseases. Currently, the country still faces tremendous challenges in diabetes prevention, diagnosis, treatment, education and management, as there is a lack of professional knowledge and skills among healthcare professionals at primary care facilities. Thus, in order to improve the prevention and care capabilities of healthcare professionals at primary care facilities, and to better service diabetes patients in China, Project HOPE, together with AstraZeneca, is launching the “Three-Year Community-based Diabetes Total Care Innovation Pilot Program” to fill the gap between operating capacity and patients’ needs for long-term medical care.
The program will provide comprehensive training to better equip general practitioners and nurses with the specific knowledge and skills needed to care for patients with diabetes. In the following three years, the project will be piloted in select provinces and cities, providing a two-day theory lesson for core healthcare professionals and three-month internship opportunities each year. These sessions will include end-to-end trainings on diabetes education, blood glucose testing, guidance on oral administration and injection of antidiabetic drugs, and comprehensive solutions for effective diabetes management, leading to the effective prevention and treatment of associated complications. In addition, the program will screen 30,000 individuals at high risk for diabetes from community centers in pilot provinces in the first year, and will monitor some of these individuals for the onset of diabetes and its development over the next two years.
“China is one of the countries with the highest diabetes rates in the world, as well as the rates of undiagnosed and untreated individuals with diabetes. More and more diabetes patients require comprehensive and effective management to enhance the prevention of diabetes and related complications,” said Wayne Shi, Senior Vice President of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Business Unit, AstraZeneca China. “We are honored to partner with Project HOPE to develop this important program, which is in line with our long-term commitment to the diabetes therapeutic area. Meanwhile, we believe we can better improve education and training in diabetes for the healthcare professionals at primary care facilities in China, benefiting more diabetes patients, with the rich experience that Project HOPE has in the diabetes therapeutic area.”
“Project HOPE is pleased to partner with AstraZeneca in this extraordinary new program to train health professionals throughout China on how to best prevent and treat diabetes,” said Linda N. Heitzman, Executive Vice President at Project HOPE. “I am confident that our joint efforts will greatly improve the lives of millions suffering from and at risk for diabetes in China.”
About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is dedicated to providing lasting solutions to health problems with the mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS HOPE, the world’s first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now provides medical training and health education, as well as humanitarian assistance programs in more than 30 countries. Project HOPE has implemented diabetes care programs in China since 1998 and is well regarded by the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Project HOPE also currently conducts programs in diabetes education and care in India and South Africa and supplies donated diabetes medication to patients in need throughout the world.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, inflammation, autoimmune, oncology, infection and neuroscience diseases. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information please visit: www.astrazeneca.com