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10-24 18:07 Caijing Magazine
http://english.caijing.com.cn/2008-10-24/110022985.html
More than 80 percent of deaths in
By staff reporter Li Hujun
Chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes and heart disease have become the major killer in
Hypertension patients in
The surge in cases of chronic disease can be partly explained by a growing elderly population, but it’s clear unhealthy lifestyles are adding to problem. Ingesting too much salt, smoking and lack of exercise are the most often cited examples of harmful habits. Yao Keqin, director of the
Little attention is given to health in the typical Chinese lifestyles. The average daily ingestion of salt in
At the same time, public awareness of chronic diseases is severely lacking. According to a medical study by Rao Keqin and Dr. Liu Liyuan of Harvard University, only one-third of hypertension patients in China are aware of their illness before being diagnosed, and only one-forth of the patients receive medical treatment.
Rao said the medicines for hypertension are not expensive, but most patients don’t understand their situation and are unwilling to take treatment.
Ala Alwan, director of the World Health Organization (WHO), told Caijing that the government has a key role in preventing chronic diseases by intervening in the public’s cigarette consumption and the nutrition habits, etc.
However, this role has long been neglected in
Some experts are worried about that an epidemic of chronic diseases would hinder future medical reforms. Yang Gonghuan, deputy director of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Kong Lingzhi, deputy director of the MOH's disease prevention and control bureau, said in a article published in the British medical journal Lancet that chronic diseases are becoming a financial burden for China, one that will eventually have to be reckoned with.
Statistics from the MOH shows that in 2005 disease cost
Rao Keqin told Caijing that
Zhang Dafa from Beijing Municipal Labor & Social Security Bureau warned that the city’s medical insurance fund will not keep pace with such a sharp increase of medical expenditure.
Confronted the sobering situation, governments in several cities have begun to take steps to improve public health.
However, experts are calling proper policy measures to compliment increased financial input.
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