As China embarks on a "scientific development approach" to advance new evidence-based health policies, there has been an ever-increasing need for applied research studies. The HSPH China Initiative seeks to: a) identify major unresolved public health and health system issues facing China, b) seek funding support, and c) involve Harvard faculties and students in conducting collaborative research projects on China in partnership with members of the public and private sectors in China and internationally.
Major areas, in which vigorous research studies are needed to help inform the policy-making process, include: (1) occupational and environmental health, (2) public health surveillance, (3) food safety and malnutrition, (4) tobacco control, (5) maternal and child health, (6) health and healthcare in poor rural areas, (7) new health techonlogy application, (8) health system reforms.
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China Bicycle Study
China has a rich history of bicycling, but little research has been conducted on the relationship between
bicycling and health and environmental benefits in China. To address this important issue, HSPH China Initiative is organizing a research project, the China Bicycle Study. Initiated by Dr. Anne Lusk, Research Scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) Department of Nutrition and supported by HSPH faculty, post doctoral fellows, and students, this first research project is conducted in collaboration with Zhejiang Universityin in Hangzhou, China. A survey will be administered among representative parents and children in Hangzhou City to learn about usage and convenience of bicycling. Future research with individuals in China could 
include preference surveys, risk reduction, behavioral research/motivation/perception analysis, health benefit identification, cost/benefit analysis, best practices, indirect benefits, and mobile source air pollution exposure and location abatement. This research could help to improve the bicycle systems in China and inform other nations about bicycling. Funding support and technical partnership for this project are welcome!
For detail, please contact Dr. Anne Lusk at (617) 432-7076 or annelusk@hsph.harvard.edu.
Mobile Health Project in Wenchuan County (2010-present)
To increase health care access to rural popolation following the 2008 devastated earthquake, the China Initiative generated the idea and helped to establish a mobile health center in Wenchuan County of Sichuan Province, which is the first of the kind in rural area in China. The mHealth center includes 6 mobile health vehicles providing from primary care, diagnosis to some as sophisticated as intensive care unites. The Mobile Health Project will study how to make the good model sustainable and how to launch the project to other area in China.
Using IT to Improve Health (2010-present)
With non-communicable and chronic diseases now accounting for majority of the disease burdens for the 1.3 billion Chinese people, technological and system innovations for effectively detecting, controlling, treating chronic diseases and risk factors as well as rehabilitation are urgently needed. In January 2011, Dr. Yuanli Liu of China Initiative signed a MOU with Dr. Xu Su, Director of Shanghai Minghang District Health Bureau to start a collaborative study on using health information system to improve performance of healthcare services targeted at chronic health conditions. This study include on-siet interview and survey to health professinals and selected residents from of the 1.3 million residents in Minghang district who have electronic health records.
Healthy Beijing 2020 (2010-2011)
Commissioned by the Beijing city government, the HSPH China Initiative has been Working closely with the Health and Development Institute of Tsinghua University to develop China’s first 10-year strategic plan for health sector development. This study addresses three major questions: What are major health problems facing people in China in the next decade? What are the major underlying causes of those problems? What are the major strategies for effectively dealing with those problems? China Initiative has provided policy recommendations to Beijing City government for health care development and practical solutions to major challenges in the next decade in the study report.
Health System Reform Study (2007-2009)
In collaboration with the Tsinghua University School of Public Policy and Management and the Tsinghua School of Business Administration, the HSPH China Initiative has been conducting a comprehensive study to diagnose major problems facing China's health system and to generate policy recommendations. In addition to faculty members, more than 10 graduate students were involved in this study, the interim findings of which were presented at an international conference in January 2007 in Beijing and a package of policy recommendations was presented to the National Coordinating Committee on Healthcare Reforms in June 2007. This serves as an example of how the applied research studies conducted by the HSPH China Initiative can help advance the education mission of HSPH by providing hands-on research experiences for our students. For more information on this study, please visit Health System Reform Study.
International Experience for "Health China 2010" (2008)
To assist the study of the major public health challenges facing China by the Chinese Ministry of Health in order to develop a strategic action plan called "Healthy China 2020", the HSPH China Initiative was invited to provide technical assistance to the study. China Initiative engaged several HSPH faculties to generate a series of research reports on major relevant international experiences in successfully controlling communicable and non-communicable diseases, and addressing occupational and environmental health. Professors Greg Connolly, David Christiani, Frank Hu, Howard Koh, Yuanli Liu, Jing Ma, and Walter Willett collaborated on this study and produced a "Harvard Report" on major international experiences and policy recommendations, which were presented by Professor Walter Willett at a senior policy conference in November of 2008. Partial funding support for this study was provided by a gift from the HH Brown Shoe Company.
Establishing Community Medical Cooperatives Study (2007)
In addition, the HSPH China Initiative has been conducting an on-going study of Community Medical Cooperatives. A Community Medical Cooperative (CMC) is a community-based organization owned and controlled by its members. Drawing on experiences from a similar project conducted in 2004-2006 in Luochuan County in Shanxi Province, the HSPH China Initiative is working with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Yongji County in Shanxi Province to conduct a baseline household survey of healthcare needs and access (performed in April 2007). As part of the project, this information is intended to help the community establish CMCs and to vigorously evaluate and demonstrate the process and impact of the interventions. For more information on this study, please visit Evaluating Community Medical Cooperatives.
Cigarette Tax Initiative
The HSPH China Initiative, in conjunction with the Tsinghua University School of Public Policy in Beiking, has launched a program exploring the feasibility of a tobacco tax - a strategy that has proven effective in reducing use in other countries. A proposed tobacco tax earmarked to fund healthcare reform will be analyzed from political, economic, and technical angles. Researchers will then offer comprehensive policy recommendations to the Chinese government.
The project received funding in the fall from the Bloomberg Global Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use. Researchers held a workshop in Beijing in October which was attended by representatives of the Chinese government, the WHO, and the World Bank.
For more information on articles and literature published by China Initiative faculty and staff, please visit Publications and PubMed Articles.
