The Growing Diabetes Problem in China

China has announced a new program to help fight against diabetes. The three-year training program has been launched to improve diabetes intervention capacity. Specifically it will be attempting to improve the training of medical workers at grassroots level health facilities. The nationwide China International Medical Foundation project plans to train around more 10,000 medical workers in elements of diabetes care such as screening, treatment and monitoring follow-ups. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Chinese Medical Association will provide technical and human resources support for the project.

A CDC regional survey in 2010 found that 9.7 percent of adults who lived on the Chinese mainland had diabetes. Without strong intervention, China is expected to have 40 million more patients by 2030, the International Diabetes Federation estimates .What is especially worrying, however, is that decades ago, only around 1 percent of people on the mainland suffered with diabetes. That means there has been as astronomical rise in the development of the condition.

Lifestyle changes such as having an unhealthy diet, where excess fat and sugar are consumed and a reduction in the amount of physical exercise are thought to be the main causes of the huge spread of diabetes. Early detection and proper treatment for patients are very important to help treat or at least delay the very serious complications like cardiovascular disease and kidney conditions.

Statistics show that only around 22 percent of diabetes cases in China were being treated, and only about half of the patients who were being treated had their blood-sugar levels under control. Because most diabetics take their medication at home, community hospitals or clinics must play a bigger role in treating the condition.

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