政府新闻
这项运动强调带状疱疹预防和控制 2024-10-21
A bus with scientific pamphlets and educational programs for the elderly began touring 35 cities in nine provinces and municipalities, including Beijing and Shanghai, to promote shingles prevention and control.
Monday was the Global Day Against Pain and China's Week Against Pain.
Shingles and chickenpox are caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It affects mostly over-50s. Blisters and back/chest pain are its major symptoms.
Over 90 percent of adults have an inactive virus that can become active, and the risk increases with age due to less immunity. About one-third of people get shingles. Age and other disorders worsen symptoms.
Older patients have more serious conditions and recover more slowly. For elderly persons with hypertension, diabetes, and COPD, shingles pain might worsen pain and problems, specialists say.
"Healthy aging is a key aspect of China's Healthy 2030 plan, as well as a necessary step to address China's growing older population. This event, which uses a bus to travel to the grassroots to spread knowledge about shingles, can assist the elderly in raising awareness about shingles prevention and control," said Pan Yue of the Beijing Health Culture Promotion Association, the event's major organizer.
Every year, more than 6 million people in the country contract shingles. The medical cost of shingles treatment in China is approximately 1.3 billion yuan (US$183 million). Each new patient's hospitalization costs around 8,200 yuan, resulting in a significant social and economic burden for both people and the country.
According to Dr Fan Bifa of China-Japan Friendship Hospital, shingles' intense pain can cause serious suffering in patients, particularly those with chronic conditions, low immunity, and the elderly.
"It is important to promote a disease prevention concept among the middle-aged and elderly people and tell them vaccination is an effective method for shingles prevention and control."
"This event is a good method to promote proper knowledge on shingles, as I have met many patients with various misunderstandings and even believe in some rumors, missing the best time for early prevention and timely treatment or using some improper method for self-treatment," he said. "It is critical to provide them with information that is both convenient and understandable."
Organizers said that they will use more inventive techniques to promote scientific education to raise public health awareness and comprehension of illness prevention.
Source: Shanghai Daily
