[Photo/IC] Health authorities target birth defects, say domestic drugs would cost less Health authorities will step up efforts to reduce the incidence of rare diseases and improve diagnosis and treatment, a senior health official said ahead of Rare Disease Day, which falls on the last day of February. We will try to further reduce inherited birth defects that lead to rare diseases, Jiao Yahui, deputy chief of medical administration and supervision at the National Health Commission, said at a news conference on Wednesday. Meanwhile, we will intensify the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases by enhancing the role played by internet technology. The commission has established a national computerized system to register diagnosis and treatment information on rare diseases, and big data technology is being used to promote research on the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases in China, she said. There is no official figure on the number of people with rare diseases in the country. Although incidence is low by definition, the absolute number of such people in China is large, considering the size of the total population, Jiao said. Worldwide, there are different definitions for rare diseases. In the United States, diseases with an incidence of less than two in 10,000 are regarded as rare, Jiao said. Zhang Shuyang, vice-president of the China Alliance of Rare Diseases and vice-president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, estimates the total number of such people in China exceeds 20 million. There are nearly 7,000 identified rare diseases worldwide, she said, but while the rate of having one is low, there may still be many patients. Jiao said the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases is a thorny issue worldwide, and effective means of diagnosis and drugs are lacking for many of them, partly due to the smaller patient pool, which discourages pharmaceutical companies from researching and developing drugs to treat them. Last year, China released for the first time a list of 121 rare diseases, including albinism and young-onset Parkinson's disease. The list will be expanded as diagnoses improve, she said. To improve diagnosis and treatment of such patients, the commission has established a hospital network comprising more than 300 top-tier recommended hospitals across the country, Jiao said. Many rare diseases are also inherited, she said. We will continue to improve pre-pregnancy and pre-birth checkups, as well as disease screening for pregnant women, to reduce the occurrence of rare diseases in newborns. Zhang said intensifying research and development is crucial for diagnosis and treatment of such diseases. Worldwide, effective drugs are available for only 5 percent of all the rare diseases, she said. In China, most of the related drugs are imported and are very expensive. The recent decision by the central government to reduce value-added taxes for 21 drugs targeting rare diseases could make them more affordable, but only domestic production will effectively reduce the prices, she said, adding that more efforts should be made to encourage domestic pharmaceutical companies to develop them. custom bar braceletcustom sports braceletscustom logo wristbandsde securite pour personne ageeembossed wristbandscolorfilled wristbandsembossed printed wristbandsdual layer wristbands
The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference holds a news conference on March 2, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua] The country's top political advisory body will actively support the implementation of the development goals of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a spokesman said on Saturday. Guo Weimin, spokesman for the second session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said the CPPCC National Committee attaches great importance to the Greater Bay Area development, and is proactively facilitating its implementation. The CPPCC National Committee will hold thematic group discussions focusing on the Greater Bay Area during its annual plenary session, which will open on Sunday, Guo told reporters at the first press conference ahead of the annual two sessions in Beijing. The two sessions, or lianghui, are the annual meetings of the National People's Congress and the CPPCC National Committee. The central government unveiled the long-anticipated outline development plan for the Greater Bay Area on Feb 18. The development blueprint lays out the vision for coordinated development of the 11-city cluster, comprised of the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and nine cities in Guangdong province. The plan aims at developing the region into an international first-class bay area, to rival the world's top city clusters in San Francisco, New York and Tokyo. The plan is an important outline document guiding the current and future cooperation and development of the Greater Bay Area, and maintaining the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao, Guo noted. The CPPCC National Committee will make ongoing efforts to do what it can to help implement the development goals of the Greater Bay Area. Throughout the year, the committee will continue to offer suggestions and gather views from the public by holding biweekly consultative meetings and online conferences of committee members, and organizing forums and studies, Guo said. Discussions will center on how to facilitate the Greater Bay Area's bid to become an international innovation and technology hub. Committee members also will exchange ideas about how to promote youth exchange across the region, and about innovation in institutions and mechanisms to advance the Greater Bay Area's development, Guo said. The 2,000-plus members of the CPPCC National Committee will use these various activities to help garner support and build consensus in pushing forward the region's integrated development. The CPPCC National Committee has consistently provided support to the development of the Greater Bay Area. While the region's development plan was in the formulation process, members of the CPPCC National Committee presented many relevant proposals last year, and 158 proposals have been accepted, Guo added. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland. Guo said the central government, the Macao SAR government and different organizations in the city are all preparing various celebratory activities to commemorate the joyous occasion. Macao has made remarkable strides in the past 20 years, with firm support from the central government. Under the one country, two systems principle, the SAR has adhered to people of Macao governing Macao with a high degree of autonomy, and has become a prosperous place that offers its residents stability and quality living standards, Guo said. He added that Macao will continue to play important roles as a global tourism and leisure center, and as an economic and trade cooperation platform between China and Lusophone (people culturally and linguistically linked to Portugal) countries. With its extensive international connections, Macao is also an important link in the Belt and Road Initiative.
