04 June 2014 | News | By BioSpectrum Bureau
PerkinElmer will work closely with the National Maternal and Children Health Surveillance Office (NMCHSO), the program's administrator, to implement this health program
Singapore: Healthcare technology and service provider, PerkinElmer, has collaborated with China's National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) to develop and implement three-year newborn screening training program focused on early detection of life threatening disorders to improve millions of lives across rural China.
The project is expected to increase adoption and access to newborn screening in China through PerkinElmer's diagnostics technologies and rolling out comprehensive newborn screening programs in rural areas. PerkinElmer will help to train more than 3,000 doctors, clinicians and laboratory technicians across 600 rural countries in sample collection, clinical diagnostics and treatment, as well as site inspection and overall program management. PerkinElmer screened more than 9 million babies in China in 2013.
PerkinElmer will work closely with the National Maternal and Children Health Surveillance Office (NMCHSO), the program's administrator, to implement this health program.
"We are excited to work closely with PerkinElmer to administer this important initiative of the NHFPC that will impact the lives of so many newborn babies," said, Jun Zhu, director, NMCHSO. "PerkinElmer's provision of diagnostics technology, along with education and training for our clinicians and professionals on newborn screening procedures and best practices, are vital to the success of this program rollout."
The program will leverage PerkinElmer's diagnostics offerings to identify disorders in newborn babies, including a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test, which is used to detect congenital hypothyroidism, an often overlooked condition that can lead to mental retardation. In addition, the program will offer a test for phenylketonuria (PKU), a condition in which a baby is born without the ability to properly utilize a component of proteins called phenylalanine, which can damage the central nervous system and the brain.
"As birth rates continue to rise in China and demand for greater access to newborn screening in rural areas increases, PerkinElmer is responding with the advanced detection technologies, knowledge and infrastructure that can help the NHFPC achieve better outcomes," said Mr Jim Corbett, president, human health, PerkinElmer. "We have a long history of success in developing similar programs in other emerging markets, and this latest collaboration in China is a great example of how we are making a difference by providing technology, information and insights to improve human health in regions that have such critical needs for these capabilities."