Protecting against disease is more important than treatment when it comes to the revamp of the new health care scheme, says an article on the website www.nanfangdaily.com.cn. Following is an excerpt:

One key problem of the new health care scheme that has been ignored is how we can improve the general health of the people and boost social harmony.

Should we achieve it by protecting and enhancing health or by focusing on the treatment of diseases?

If we only pay attention to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and ignore the latent health risks affecting 80 percent of the population, the number of patients are bound to increase and the health care system will collapse some day.

Our government still can't make the leap from traditional concepts and systematic restraints; nor can it escape the influence of related interests groups to do the right thing.

According to statistics, about 260 million people suffered chronic diseases in China in 2008.

In the past decade, the incidence has increased by 10 million year on year.

The consequences will be serious if we don't make efforts to check the increase of chronic disease patients and improve the health of these people.

We must change our concepts from addressing the disease treatment issues faced by 20 percent of the people to the health management issues faced by 80 percent of the people.

The new health care scheme should eradicate the backward practice of only addressing how to cure disease and embrace broader health management.

(China Daily April 22, 2009)