On November 4, 2015, Daiichi Sankyo held an opening ceremony for a community center established in Guangnan County of Yunnan Province, China. Established as part of a project for improving the health of mothers and children in this area, the community center will be operated by local volunteers and healthcare professionals (village doctors). The functions of this center will include collecting and sharing information regarding health and nutrition management for mothers and children and promoting reciprocal learning among attendees through these efforts.
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony took place in the village of Xinzhai in Zhulin Township, one of the six townships in Guangnan County in which the aforementioned project is being conducted. Approximately 230 people attended the ceremony, including representatives from the Guangnan Women’s Bureau and other organizations as well as healthcare professionals (village doctors) and the mayor of Xinzhai Village and other local residents. Xinzhai is a small village with a population of roughly 950 people that is a two-hour drive south from the central area of Guangnan County. This village is home to several children suffering from stunting growth.
Aged elementary school building transformed into community center in Xinzhai Village, Zhulin Township
Plate in the community center
Address by Daiichi Sankyo Representative
“We hope that you will use this community center as a site at which people can meet daily and learn about healthcare skills and knowledge, and that you will pass on the knowledge gained here to those around you. I am confident that this will help everyone in Xinzhai Village live healthier lives.”
Speech by Local Volunteer
“It is my hope that our efforts at the Xinzhai community center will grow to affect the lives of people in the surrounding areas, and that learning about healthcare together will help our children grow up healthier.”
Unveiling Ceremony for Plaque Adorned with Daiichi Sankyo’s Logo
Visit to Local Healthcare Office
After the opening ceremony, Daiichi Sankyo representatives visited a healthcare office in a neighboring village. The healthcare office was essentially a village clinic, conducting outpatient care, simple medical procedures, postnatal healthcare management for mothers and children, and pharmaceutical management. This office is currently operated by one village doctor, who also conducts checkups at villages that do not have such offices.
Healthcare office with village doctor and scooter used for making medical visits out front
Daiichi Sankyo representatives being treated to potatoes from the village
In China, the healthcare services available for mothers and children can differ significantly by region. Moreover, there is a strong need to improve the skills of healthcare professionals in rural areas such as the township in which the community center was opened with regard to integrated management of childhood illnesses (IMCI). It is also necessary to help local residents become more adept at addressing childhood illnesses. As part of the ongoing healthcare improvement project, Daiichi Sankyo will assist in the operation of the community center while also providing IMCI training to help village doctors become more capable of quickly detecting the signs of childhood illness and providing better responses. In this manner, we hope to facilitate smooth medical coordination.
Second IMCI training held in central Guangnan County on November 3 and 4, 2015, attended by 36 people
We visited the International Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in July 2015 and the Consulate-General of Japan in Chongqing, which overseas activities in the area of the project, and the Embassy of Japan in China in November of this year. During these visits, we offered explanations of the activities that will be conducted through this project over the next five years, thereby helping these organizations understand our efforts.
Photo:Plan International