The Stroke Prevention Project Committee signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement with Sanofi China, a global leading bio-pharmaceutical company. The aim is to train innovative professionals, improve the awareness of stroke prevention and control, and jointly build a network of stroke prevention and control in China.

The agreement covers three main areas including government cooperation and charitable activities, education and training cooperation, as well as support for scientific research and standardized diagnosis projects.

In terms of government cooperation and charitable activities, Sanofi China, as the partner of the Committee, will actively support the prevention and control programs of the Committee at all levels across China to establish and enhance the national stroke prevention and control system and strengthen the development of Healthy China. It will help the provincial and municipal level prevention and control working groups to construct stroke centers, encourage exchanges among stroke centers and carry out charitable activities.

In terms of education and training for stroke prevention and control, both parties will work together on programs including academician school, stroke health manager and physician education programs to strengthen the development of neurological and home-grown innovation.

In terms of clinical research and standardized diagnosis and treatment programs, level 2 prevention standardized diagnosis and treatment programs with the clinical research programs will be used to carry out comprehensive risk assessments for stroke patients as early as possible. It will divide patients based on recurrence risks, and provide personalized treatment to reduce the possibility of recurrence.

"The cooperation between Sanofi China and the Stroke Prevention Project Committee is an important move for national stroke prevention and control system's overall scheme construction. It follows the preliminary establishment of national stroke prevention level 1 system. In the future, the network system of stroke prevention and control will provide full coverage, growing from tens to hundreds to thousands, and finally up to tens of thousands.

Based on the stroke centers at all levels, we will improve the effectiveness of prevention and control as well as compliance of treatment & risk factors, and greatly curb the incidence and recurrence of the disease. That's how we achieve sound stroke prevention and control through effective screening, timely interventions, continuous discovery and control of high risk factors."

Deputy Director of the Stroke Prevention Project Committee, NHFPC, P.R China, Academician Wang Longde said, "Our goal by the year 2020 is to have at least 1 stroke center up to standard in over 60% of the counties (cities), 80% cities (regions, states) and 100% provinces (regions, cities). These centers will provide high-quality support and protection for stroke prevention and control of citizens."

The national stroke prevention level 1 system was preliminarily established. With the acceleration of China's urbanization, industrialization and aging population, stroke has not only risen to become the principal cause of death in China, but is now a rising threat to the health of China's labor force. As a result, the stroke screening and prevention has been a major national health intervention project in China.

During the "12th Five-year Plan" period, we have preliminarily established the national stroke prevention level 1 system in China by multiple patterns including building China's stroke data center and data sharing platform, holding stroke meetings and establishing a multidisciplinary collaboration model.

To this end, the "13th Five-year Plan" took it as a key objective to lower the premature mortality of major chronic diseases by 10%. Stroke is a common subject for chronic diseases prevention & control, and as such was examined through various policies within a comprehensive project system. The prevention and treatment of stroke was listed as an important part of the healthy China campaign.

In 2016, the General Office of NHFPC issued The Work Plan of Comprehensive Prevention and Treatment of Stroke, providing more precise directions to improve the stroke prevention, control system construction, the implementation of comprehensive stroke prevention with control strategies and measures. It has also set out to aim that by the year 2020, the growth rate of stroke incidence decreases to less than 5%, and the mortality of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases decreases by 10% .

"Improving stroke prevention system level 1, establishing effective treatment in acute stage and prevention level 2 are the three most important tasks in the whole process. They are important parts of the stroke prevention and control network.

The network of stroke centers jointly built by Stroke Prevention Committee and Sanofi China is a practice that caters to the new trend," said Academician Wang Longde regarding the implementation of this strategic project. "Government dominance and extensive engagement of private forces is also an important strategic direction in recent years. We have reached a strategic partnership with Sanofi China. On the one hand, we need an experienced participant with whom we have a very good basis for cooperation. More importantly, we need a partner with shared goals, working together to promote the stroke prevention and control, and to achieve a vision of 'Healthy China 2030'."