WHO Selects Thailand For High Blood Pressure, Diabetes Project

[george]

WHO selects Thailand for high blood pressure, diabetes project

BANGKOK: -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Thailand, China, and India as leading countries appropriate for launching pilot projects to combat high blood pressure and diabetes.

Deputy public health minister Dr. Vallop Thainuea said that the WHO sees Thailand's potential to contain the diseases.

He said that ten million Thais currently have high blood pressure but only one third know they have the condition, while three million Thai people have diabetes, but only half recognise they have the disease.

Both illnesses can lead to other complications, which require high cost medical treatment, Dr. Vallop said.

The Public Health Ministry will supply blood pressure monitors and blood glucose metres to public health volunteers to perform health check-ups for local residents over 35 years old in August, he said.

The project is aimed at screening 10 million patients to receive medical treatment.

The ministry will also offer training for 800,000 health volunteers across the country in July and August.

Public relations campaigns will be implemented to urge Thai people to adopt healthy lifestyle to prevent obesity, which can lead to high blood pressure and diabetes, he added.

According to the public health ministry, 30 per cent of children in urban areas and 20 per cent of children in remote areas are overweight, higher than 10 per cent and four per cent respectively in 1989.

--TNA 2007-06-16

[jumnien]

Most of the WHO administrators I've seen hanging out in 5-star hotels are a bit wide in the girth themselves. I hope these pilot projects involve a little walking and swimming between buffets!

[slapout]

How do you determine that 10 mil. people have high blood pressure and only 1/3 know it? Did not the doctors tell the other 6 plus mil ? This seems to be a reoccuring statement when groups, countries, people, etc are trying to raise money or to get grants, aid etc. I hope I am mistaken in this concept and some one can point out what I am missing.

[rychrde]

good, about time Thais were made aware of this problem. I know many who have diabetes but the current treatments in hospitals is generally poor.

the reason why many may not be aware they have diabetes is that they go to the doctor with a symptom and usually just get palmed off with some cheap medicine after a 2 mins consultation. Screening involves tests, which are often given only if the patient asks for it. So lots of people walking around with vague malaise taking wrong medicines and still feeling crap. Hospital treatments have overall gotten worse under the current regime. Many doctors have gone private as there is no money in hospitals. There is also no money to prescribe some of the advanced diabetes treatments we have in the west.

I know this is a hot country, so sugar and salt (and water) are important. But someone should take a look at all those horrible carbonated drinks sold in Thailand, many of which have been banned in europe because of side-effects on children (unfortunately coke hasn't been).

rych

[Prakanong]

How do you determine that 10 mil. people have high blood pressure and only 1/3 know it? Did not the doctors tell the other 6 plus mil ? This seems to be a reoccuring statement when groups, countries, people, etc are trying to raise money or to get grants, aid etc. I hope I am mistaken in this concept and some one can point out what I am missing.

It is possible to make an estimate of the disease burden estimate based on epi studies et al - its done all the time.

As the poster says above though its not unknown for unscrupulous agencies to exaggerate to get grants in certain countries.

I think the fact that Thailand is getting this may relate to the Health Minister who has taken a seat on WHO or something similar.

[quadricorrelator]

How do you determine that 10 mil. people have high blood pressure and only 1/3 know it? Did not the doctors tell the other 6 plus mil ? This seems to be a reoccuring statement when groups, countries, people, etc are trying to raise money or to get grants, aid etc. I hope I am mistaken in this concept and some one can point out what I am missing.

The percentage of people who are not aware of their condition can be determined to a certain confidence level using sampling. By examining a small but broad spectrum of the population, you can estimate to a certain accuracy level, the characteristics of the whole population. You have to estimate the quality of the sampling to determine the error bounds on the accuracy of the estimate.

The results of a broad sampling will represent the results of the whole group to within a certain accuracy. Larger samples have greater accuracy levels, but the size of the sample required to achieve a given accuracy level depends on the diversity of the population. More diverse populations require more samples to achieve a given accuracy level.

-q

[slapout]

How do you determine that 10 mil. people have high blood pressure and only 1/3 know it? Did not the doctors tell the other 6 plus mil ? This seems to be a reoccuring statement when groups, countries, people, etc are trying to raise money or to get grants, aid etc. I hope I am mistaken in this concept and some one can point out what I am missing.

The percentage of people who are not aware of their condition can be determined to a certain confidence level using sampling. By examining a small but broad spectrum of the population, you can estimate to a certain accuracy level, the characteristics of the whole population. You have to estimate the quality of the sampling to determine the error bounds on the accuracy of the estimate.

The results of a broad sampling will represent the results of the whole group to within a certain accuracy. Larger samples have greater accuracy levels, but the size of the sample required to achieve a given accuracy level depends on the diversity of the population. More diverse populations require more samples to achieve a given accuracy level.

-q

You missed your calling you should be entering the debates or running for a govt. office in the US or elsewhere . Please read what you wrote and correct me if I am wrong but you can make the numbers say what you want under this gobblegope, (certain confidence level), (certain accuracy level) ( estimate the quality of the sampling) (error bounds on the accuracy of the estimate) etc. etc. Otherwise I pull some numbers out of my a'' and everyone should believe me. Some people believed the last person to try and pull this in Thailand and look where he is now ,, slapout

[Prakanong]

How do you determine that 10 mil. people have high blood pressure and only 1/3 know it? Did not the doctors tell the other 6 plus mil ? This seems to be a reoccuring statement when groups, countries, people, etc are trying to raise money or to get grants, aid etc. I hope I am mistaken in this concept and some one can point out what I am missing.

The percentage of people who are not aware of their condition can be determined to a certain confidence level using sampling. By examining a small but broad spectrum of the population, you can estimate to a certain accuracy level, the characteristics of the whole population. You have to estimate the quality of the sampling to determine the error bounds on the accuracy of the estimate.

The results of a broad sampling will represent the results of the whole group to within a certain accuracy. Larger samples have greater accuracy levels, but the size of the sample required to achieve a given accuracy level depends on the diversity of the population. More diverse populations require more samples to achieve a given accuracy level.

-q

You missed your calling you should be entering the debates or running for a govt. office in the US or elsewhere . Please read what you wrote and correct me if I am wrong but you can make the numbers say what you want under this gobblegope, (certain confidence level), (certain accuracy level) ( estimate the quality of the sampling) (error bounds on the accuracy of the estimate) etc. etc. Otherwise I pull some numbers out of my a'' and everyone should believe me. Some people believed the last person to try and pull this in Thailand and look where he is now ,, slapout

ROFL - I take it you never studied statistics then?

[slapout]

How do you determine that 10 mil. people have high blood pressure and only 1/3 know it? Did not the doctors tell the other 6 plus mil ? This seems to be a reoccuring statement when groups, countries, people, etc are trying to raise money or to get grants, aid etc. I hope I am mistaken in this concept and some one can point out what I am missing.

The percentage of people who are not aware of their condition can be determined to a certain confidence level using sampling. By examining a small but broad spectrum of the population, you can estimate to a certain accuracy level, the characteristics of the whole population. You have to estimate the quality of the sampling to determine the error bounds on the accuracy of the estimate.

The results of a broad sampling will represent the results of the whole group to within a certain accuracy. Larger samples have greater accuracy levels, but the size of the sample required to achieve a given accuracy level depends on the diversity of the population. More diverse populations require more samples to achieve a given accuracy level.

-q

You missed your calling you should be entering the debates or running for a govt. office in the US or elsewhere . Please read what you wrote and correct me if I am wrong but you can make the numbers say what you want under this gobblegope, (certain confidence level), (certain accuracy level) ( estimate the quality of the sampling) (error bounds on the accuracy of the estimate) etc. etc. Otherwise I pull some numbers out of my a'' and everyone should believe me. Some people believed the last person to try and pull this in Thailand and look where he is now ,, slapout

ROFL - I take it you never studied statistics then?

As a matter of fact I had very good prof. in university who had a doctor's degree in same who made a very determined effort to make sure those people who passed his courses understood the different ways to show conflicting theories using the same guestimates. not true or real numbers but guestimates which I consider "a certain accuracy" to be .