BD extends support for diabetes training and education program in China
BD extended its partnership for an additional two years with Project HOPE, a global nonprofit organization whose name stands for “Health Opportunities for People Everywhere,” to address the rise of diabetes in China. The Company’s support for the China Diabetes Education Program (CDEP), which provides comprehensive diabetes training to local healthcare providers, will allow the program to further increase public awareness about diabetes and the importance of better diabetes care. It will also provide CDEP the opportunity to collaborate with the Chinese government to improve community care.
Approximately 39 million Chinese citizens are estimated to have diabetes, a figure that could rise to as many as 100 million by 2010. Due to a lack of patient education and training in China, however, many people with diabetes are unaware of the healthcare and lifestyle measures that can alleviate and postpone complications.
Since 1998, CDEP trainers from more than 800 local hospitals and community care centers have trained nearly 37,000 physicians and approximately 170,000 nurses, healthcare workers and patients with diabetes.
The CDEP program establishes diabetes education and training centers; promulgates a state-of-the-art training model; and develops education and training materials. The program has won strong support from China’s Ministry of Health.