IN BRIEF (Page 10)

Family outreach

To help prevent respiratory infectious diseases, Eli Lilly joined the All-China Women Federation to begin the "Family Medicine Kit Project" in Beijing.

The project combines public education with scientific research.

Publication of a handbook on common respiratory infectious diseases, along with posters and fact sheets, will reach 8 million people in 40 cities, organizers said.

A team of medical experts and government officials will conduct a series of research and training sessions.

Children with cleft lip

Thanks to a new program, cleft lip children from poor families in Hainan province now are receiving free treatment and recovery services.

The initiative is called "The Reborn Action-Plan for the Surgery and Recovery of Poor Cleft lip Children in China".

Sponsors of the program, which attracted 100 million yuan in contributions, are the Li Ka-Shing Foundation and China's Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Through the program, cleft lip patients from poor families will receive free medical checkups and surgery.

Help for orphans

The China Children and Teenagers Fund (CCTF), together with the country's civil affairs and health ministries, will provide health insurance to more than 570,000 orphans to cover health care costs for treating critical diseases.

With each donation of 20 yuan, the China Children Insurance Foundation, which was set up by CCTF, will provide an insurance policy covering up to 100,000 yuan in costs.

Computers for Dongtai

Ciming Checkup, the country's largest health examination chain, donated 20 computers to Dongtai village of Beijing's Huairou district to help villagers learn agricultural technology.

Dongtai village is short of learning resources, and Ciming Checkup stated that providing villagers more technology resources will bolster development of rural areas.

The company also will equip the village with expanded medical services and improved medical facilities.

(China Daily 08/10/2009 page10)