Campaign launched to raise diabetes awareness

China's health service provider Health 100 launched a program in Beijing on Friday to promote diabetes prevention and control awareness, as a follow-up event to its long-term commitment to the cause.

The company will join hands with Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation to unveil the nationwide sugar control charity program in Hebei and Liaoning provinces, and Inner Mongolia, where diabetes incidence rates are high, to conduct diabetes screening, public education, and post-inspection management services.

The program is expected to cover about 10,000 people, and the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation plans to donate blood glucose meters worth nearly 500,000 yuan to families of low-income patients.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, about 463 million adults aged 20 to 79 were suffering from diabetes in the world in 2019. China had about 116.4 million diabetes patients, ranking first in the world. Diabetes has become a major public health problem that seriously endangers the health of Chinese people and brings a heavy economic burden to social medical care, as it is estimated China has spent $109 billion on diabetes-related health expenditures.

Yu Rong, president of the company, said at a forum held to launch the program that the company will always uphold the original intention of medical institutions, and continue to apply research and development results in health public welfare projects to benefit the country, society, and industry, and make contribution to the national course of health enhancement.

Guo Lixin, board director-elect of Chinese Diabetes Society, said to prevent and control diabetes it is important to reduce the risk of diabetes in high-risk groups, while for diagnosed patients, blood sugar control should be strengthened to reduce the risk of complications.