At present, more than 100 million Chinese suffer from hypertension, with the number of hypertension patients increasing by three million annually, says a latest report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).
By 2020, angiocardiopathy will be the main cause of death in China, according to WHO experts.
October 8 is China’s third National Hypertension Day. The Ministry of Health (MOH) organized a “Physicians and Patients, Heart by Heart” activity to disseminate knowledge on hypertension.
To control incidences of angiocardiopathy, China must fight against hypertension and smoking, which are the main causes of the disease, said Dr. John Chalmers, WHO chairman of International Society of Hypertension Liaison Committee.
A survey in 1999 shows that the understanding of hypertension among Chinese, especially those between 35 and 44 years old, is far from adequate, which affects the treatment and control of the disease, according to Yin Dakui, vice-minister of MOH.
The survey also shows that 28 percent of patients receive information from doctors, which reveals that doctors have not played a key role in health education, Yin added.
In another development, Professor Wu Yinkai was awarded today by MOH for his outstanding contribution to the prevention of hypertension in China.
Supported by the Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Limited, MOH carried out two other activities on National Hypertension Day, including a Healthcare campaign for young and middle-aged workers and explanations on the newly published Instructions on Hypertension Prevention.
(People’s Daily 10/08/2000)
