IN BRIEF (Page 22)

Program to increaseawareness of strokes

A nationwide public education program was officially kicked off in Beijing last week organized by the Ministry of Health and People's Daily and sponsored by Bayer HealthCare.

Amid a growing number of strokes in China, the program aims to help the public understand basic knowledge of this cardiovascular disease and efficient prevention methods. Ma Xiaowei, vice-health minister, said that public screening and early intervention are very important to prevent stroke and increase treatment efficiency. The government will also provide more training for grassroots medical practitioners on stroke diagnosis and treatment.