The China-SCO Cooperation Center for Metabolic Diseases officially launched on Feb 27 at Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai, aiming to further deepen health partnerships among members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and enhance the well-being of all people.

Metabolic diseases concern everyone. They include not only diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, but are also closely linked to tumors and represent a major risk factor accelerating aging. Experts warn the threat of metabolic diseases is even more severe within the SCO, where the prevalence of diabetes far exceeds the global average and is still rising at a faster rate.

"Metabolic diseases and their complications have become the leading cause of noncommunicable disease deaths in the SCO, accounting for over 70 percent of all deaths," said Ning Guang, president of Ruijin Hospital, at the inauguration ceremony. "They have become one of the greatest health challenges facing humanity in the 21st century."

Proposed by Premier Li Qiang in November, the center has seen extensive and active participation among SCO member states, observer states and dialogue partners. It is expected to function as a hub for international medical services, a base for high-level talent training and strategic health research, as well as a technological cooperation base for biomedicine and medical equipment sectors.

Focusing on promoting regional coordination, experience sharing, technological upgrading and governance mechanism innovation, the center will undertake tasks such as medical assistance, medical training, technology sharing and industrial exchanges. Within three years, it is set to train 2,000 experts in metabolic disease prevention and control for the SCO, facilitate the sharing of 500 medical technologies within the region, and initiate a forum to further advance exchanges and health cooperation across the organization.

"Our core vision is to foster consensus within the SCO on the treatment, prevention, control and governance of metabolic diseases, and build an SCO metabolic health community that is resilient, universally beneficial and inclusive," said Ning.

Diverse backgrounds

He pointed out that the SCO member states are diverse in genetic backgrounds, cultural practices, dietary patterns, economic levels and disease susceptibility, making effective metabolic disease governance complicated. However, it is encouraging that many states have accumulated rich local experience and practices in exploring metabolic disease prevention and control.

In China, Ruijin Hospital launched its National Metabolic Management Center program in 2016. With 492 standard operating procedures and 72 core technologies, the program established a comprehensive and standardized operational and quality control system, enabling every patient, regardless of geographic locations, to receive consistent and high-quality medical services.

To date, the program covers 2,068 hospitals across China and manages about 3.5 million diabetes patients, becoming the world's largest diabetes management system.

Nurlan Yermekbayev, secretary-general of the SCO, spoke highly of the opening of the new China-SCO Cooperation Center for Metabolic Diseases, encouraging more such centers to facilitate cooperation.

"The SCO member states have been enhancing health cooperation since 2011. The establishment of the center marks another solid step forward in this sector. We expect China and all our member states to further deepen and strengthen collaboration in the years ahead," he said.

The SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established in 2001 in Shanghai by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the organization has seen its member states expand from six to 10, with other two observer states and 15 dialogue partners.