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Hypertension, diabetes cases rocketing

By Chen Jia (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-02-28 09:09

Cases of hypertension and diabetes tripled from 1998 to 2008, a Ministry of Health (MOH) study revealed on Friday.

"Chronic diseases have topped our work agenda as the major health problem in both urban and rural areas," Rao Keqin, director of the center for health statistics and information under the MOH, told a press meeting in Beijing.

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Around 260 million Chinese, or about 20 percent, suffer from the chronic diseases, an increase of 4.9 percent compared to 2003, he said.

The study, based on the fourth national research of health services (2003-08), covers about 200,000 citizens in 31 provinces. The MOH and five universities, including Peking University and Fudan University, jointly launched it.

The figures reveal that more than 200 million Chinese suffer from hypertension, and 60 million have diabetes.

Rao said the increasing cases of chronic disease could reflect the progress of healthcare reform in recent years: "The government has promoted healthcare reform and medical insurance has covered more citizens. Many chronic diseases in China, particularly in rural areas, might be underreported as many cases are thought to be undiagnosed in the past."