BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- China is encouraging qualified hospitals nationwide to establish weight management clinics to achieve near-complete coverage of such services by June 2025, health authorities said in a statement on Thursday.

The statement, jointly released by China's National Health Commission (NHC) and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, noted that the initiative will cover all general hospitals, children's hospitals and traditional Chinese medicine hospitals under these two authorities, as well as those under provincial-level governments in China.

Major hospitals are encouraged to set up obesity prevention and control centers to provide in-patient weight management services, while healthcare institutions at the primary level should provide education, follow-up and health management services, and optimize referral processes, the statement said.

Hospitals are also encouraged to adopt internet technologies, artificial intelligence and wearable devices to improve their services, the statement added.

These weight management clinics will adhere to classified management and offer personalized services to the elderly, children, pregnant women and patients with chronic diseases, among other key groups, according to the statement.

China's push for nationwide weight management clinics is an active response to the public health challenge posed by people that are either overweight or obese -- conditions which have significantly increased the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disorders among Chinese people.

A 2020 NHC report revealed that overweight and obesity rates of Chinese adults had exceeded 50 percent, while nearly 20 percent of Chinese children and adolescents aged six to 17 were obese. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)