A multi-sponsor program aiming to train cardiologists for China
has benefited nearly 20,000 Chinese citizens, according to the
program's first annual meeting held in Beijing on Saturday.
National Healthy Heart Program (NHHP), organized by American
Project HOPE (Health Opportunities to People Everywhere) and
sponsored by Medtronic Inc., was launched in December 2002. It
provides professional guidance to cardiologists, doctors and nurses
who take care of patients suffering from cardiovascular
diseases.
Eighty-two senior cardiologists and experienced medical workers
from major Chinese hospitals volunteered to participate in NHHP.
They will help junior cardiologists and medical workers better
diagnose cardiovascular diseases and educate patients about heart
diseases.
Upon completion of the NHHP program, participants are expected
to spread their knowledge to the prevention and control of
cardiovascular diseases to a broader audience, their patients,
colleagues and residents in their communities.
So far, NHHP has directly trained 234 cardiologists and 344
community doctors and indirectly helped 17,907 Chinese citizens
through the efforts made by the NHHP participants.
"It is better to teach people to fish than feeding them with
fish," said Ellen Paquette, Project HOPE director in Asia-Pacific
and Middle-East Region, while commenting on the significance of the
program.
Statistics from World Health Organization (WHO) from 1999 showed
that 60 percent of the deaths from disease were caused by chronic
diseases. The figure is expected to climb to 73 percent in
2020.
In China, cardiovascular problems have become the fastest
growing non-communicable disease (NCD) and the No.1 killer of the
country's urban dwellers, China CDC director Wang Yu said?in
Beijing?on Saturday.
"China is making tremendous efforts to further complete the
network monitoring chronicle medical problems such as
cardiovascular diseases," said Wang.
In order to address NCDs, the Chinese government has attached
great importance to cooperation with foreign and international
non-governmental organizations and individuals.
"Cooperation with foreign organizations such as Project HOPE
provides us with a new way to tackle NCDs and will contribute
greatly to China's prevention and control of other NCDs," said Qi
Xiaoqiu, director-general of disease prevention and control
department of Ministry of Health, while commenting on NHHP's
"training of the trainers" methodology here.
Project HOPE is a non-governmental organization founded in the
United States in 1958, aiming to provide medical assistance to
developing countries across the globe and help the needed to study
on public health policies. The American organization entered China
in 1983 and currently has a number of cooperation programs with
Chinese medical and health institutions and organizations.
(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2004)