Pfizer plans to bring down heart disease deaths in China
A cardiovascular disease project, targeting people at grassroots level, as well as the doctors who treat them, was launched on Aug 11.
The program was put together by the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Pfizer China, a subsidiary of United Statesbased biopharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc.
The project aims to reduce the number of people dying from heart disease and related illnesses, and to reduce the economic burden of the patients. The program will also help train doctors, especially those in rural areas, to diagnose and treat such ailments.
“Pfizer is willing to help residents in remote areas with its remarkable drugs free of side effects and rich management experience in chronic disease,” said Wu Xiaobin, president of Pfizer Greater China at the launching ceremony.
China’s Cardiovascular Disease Report 2016 shows that the disease has become a major public health problem in the country. Some 290 million people are being treated for cardiovascular ailments, which have also become a primary cause of death for both urban and rural residents.
Since May 2016, Pfizer has cooperated with more than 20 county-level governments and health administration departments, supporting their hypertension management projects.
The projects will build a system that offers screening, diagnosis, treatment and longterm management at medical institutions in these counties.
“As one of the leading biopharmaceutical companies in cardiovascular therapy, Pfizer has been committed to the managein ment and prevention of chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases in China,” said the president.
As of now, there are 23 pilot counties supported by the transnational cooperation under the cardiovascular disease project.
“The number of the piloted counties is expected to reach 30 by the end of 2017, benefiting 150,000 patients,” said Wu Feng, vice-president of Pfizer China, adding that the project will cover 80 counties and 400,000 patients within three years.
In order to improve the grassroots doctors’ cardiovascular disease diagnosis and treatment ability, the project will invite specialists to conduct quarterly face-toface trainings about disease prevention and control monthly online lectures.
“We will also provide a certain amount of free drugs to patients, so as to relive their treatment pressure,” said Jiang Lixin, director assistant of the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases.
The project is another way for Pfizer to practice its social responsibility in China.
“Our purpose to take part the project is to improve the standardization of the diseases’ treatment and reduce the economic burden of local people using highquality drugs,” Wu said. “We hope these actions can actually help Chinese people to curb the illness.”
The drugs on cardiovascular disease from Pfizer, the 160 years old international company, occupy the largest market share in China.
As early as June last year, the company signed a strategic cooperation memo with the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases to improve the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases here and raise the living standard of Chinese citizens.
At the time, the company announced plans to hold seminars and establish specifications on prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and to conduct research on disease epidemic trend.