China National Health Development Research Center (NHDRC), a Chinese national research institution, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Amgen to launch the Program of Building of High-Quality and Efficient Health Service System and Empirical Study in the Context of Aging in Beijing on 25th November.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT
The 3-year program aims to develop a high-quality and efficient health service system through study of the key topics of China's health service system in the context of the country's aging population. Xiamen has been identified as the pilot city for this program. A baseline survey will be conducted to gather evidence with respect to policy support, service capabilities, information data, and incentives, where targeted interventions will be implemented. The results of these initiatives will then be monitored and evaluated.
The outcomes of the project will provide a basis for the formulation of policies such as the “14th Five-Year-Plan on Health/Health Aging”. In addition, the research insights will help China address the challenges of an aging population, such as managing related healthcare costs and how to improve the overall health of its citizens.
WHY IT MATTERS
It is no surprise that China's population is aging on an increasingly large scale. According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, China had 249 million people over the age of 60, accounting for 17.9% of the total population in 2018. However, 75.8% of those aged 60 and over have developed at least one chronic disease, with 37.2% afflicted with dyslipidemia and 19.4% suffering from diabetes. Chronic diseases are the primary cause of disability among senior citizens – this not only affects their well-being, but places a large financial burden on families and the health system.
THE LARGER TREND
Aging populations and its related increased occurrence of chronic diseases pose a great financial strain in many Asian countries. Governments are exploring how to better manage chronic diseases, either through research and/or technologies. For instance, Singapore recently announced its national AI strategy and its intention to tap on AI technologies for chronic disease prediction and management.
ON THE RECORD
“The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council have recently jointly released a medium and long-term plan for responding proactively to population aging, which clearly defines a number of strategic goals. One of its important tasks is to build a high-quality service and product offering system for the elderly,” said Wei Fu, Director General, China NHDRC in a statement.
It is now the ideal moment for us to begin the development and research of a high-quality and efficient medical and health service system, which adequately caters for aging requirements. We hope that through this project, we can effectively integrate resources, identify the problems, analyze and strategize the solutions and promote the establishment of a scientific health service system for aging in order to fully improve the quality of life and health level of China's aging population,” Wei Fu added.
Penny Wan, Vice President and Regional General Manager, Amgen JAPAC, said: “As a global biotechnology leader, Amgen is more than happy to support the Chinese government's effort to promote healthy aging and deliver on our commitment to Chinese patients. We will continue to work with all stakeholders to accelerate the shift of healthcare from a 'break and fix' model to a 'Predict and Prevent' model, to create a healthcare ecosystem that is centered on the latter, and to help fulfill the 'Healthy China 2030' vision.”
