Lessons for all in China health research

Tom Iggulden, Beijing

Last Updated: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:02:00 +1100

An Australian-backed research centre has opened in China to look at ways of improving the country's rural health system.

Its work on chronic health complaints may provide lessons on closing the health gap between indigenous and non-indigenous people in Australia - and how to lower health costs in the United States.

Until the 1980s, millions of so-called "barefoot doctors" provided basic health care to China's rural poor.

But now they are a thing of the past, squeezed out by the government's preference for a network of private sector clinics and hospitals.

Cost

Most charge at levels comparable to Western medical services, vastly more than most of China's 1.3 billion people can afford.

Dr John Yu, a former Australian of the Year, is opening the China International Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention, a partnership involving the George Institute for International Health, which he chairs.

The Sydney-based institute says chronic diseases such as heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease cause 80 per cent of deaths in China, and these are projected to rise considerably over the coming decade. Many are preventable.

The non-profit George Institute seeks to improve the health of millions of people worldwide through research, which is then applied to health policy and practice.

Dr Yu told Australia Network some of China's social policies are exacerbating its health crisis.

"I can understand why China had the one-child policy but it does mean that two people are going to spend a large part of their life looking after four aged parents," he says.

"And if there is no social structure to help them look after those parents, it's going to be really very difficult."

Professor Stephen MacMahon, the George Institute's principal director, says although China recognises it has a health crisis, changing course is difficult.

Insurer

"The big driver of policy is cost. What will it cost the country if we have tens of millions of people disabled? What will it do to public security if there are unsustainable ill or disabled people in rural communities?"

The new centre is partly funded by giant American health insurer United Health, hoping it can learn ways to lower health costs in the US.

Professor MacMahon says some Australian communities may also benefit.

"What's happened in China over the last few decades is that the diseases that have killed the poor are exactly the same as the diseases that kill our indigenous populations and indeed kill many non-indigenous Australians in remote areas," he said.

"We've struggled for decades to find solutions there, and there is potential here to look at innovative ways that are effective and affordable then they will have relevance at home as well."