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The GACD have visited Shanghai, China to discuss the rapidly growing problem of non-communicable diseases. The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences hosted the GACD’s 9 leaders of international funding agencies (US, Canada, South Africa, India, Mexico, UK, Australia, Canada, European Commission).
The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences hosted the GACD’s 9 leaders of international funding agencies (US, Canada, South Africa, India, Mexico, UK, Australia, Canada, European Commission).
Dr Xuetao Cao, Director of CAMS (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences) and Chair of the GACD Board led the biannual Board meeting by setting priorities of the announcement of successful applicants to the joint diabetes call, which is due to be released at towards the end of the year and agreeing the subject of the following joint call.
China’s former health minister and current vice chair of the National People’s Congress of China, Professor Chen Zhu gave the keynote speech at the evening’s welcome dinner, stressing how as China progresses, so too does an alarming rise in chronic diseases.
Director of the US National Institutes for Health (Dr Francis Collins) closed the meeting, stressing the ongoing economic burden of NCDs in his director’s blog: “Not only do NCDs take a tremendous toll on the health of individuals, their economic costs can inflict serious damage on a nation’s economy. Due to increased rates of NCDs, China and India alone are expected to lose $558 billion and $237 billion respectively between 2007 and 2017 [2]. Such economic setbacks may contribute to a negative feedback loop that erodes public health services and slows future socioeconomic development.”