China Philanthropy

A 5 Minute Guide to Mental Health in China

In the past year new information has emerged concerning the state of mental healthcare and the mentally ill in China. According to the World Health Organization, mental illness supersedes heart disease and cancer as the most taxing health concern in China’s healthcare system. An estimated 100 million people in China have some type of mental disorder although some say this number is likely higher due to the dearth of information available and the lack of public awareness regarding mental illness. Xinhua reports that “twenty percent of all ailments and injury-led disabilities in China” are caused by mental illness. Dr. Huang Yueqin, director of the National Center for Mental Health, told Telegraph that she estimates only about 5 percent of those with illnesses are aware of it and receive treatment. (It is important to note the range of illnesses covered under these statistics, which include anxiety and Internet addiction as well as depression and schizophrenia.)

China Offers Relief to Taiwan: A review of Typhoon Morakat

On August 8, Taiwan was hit by a severe typhoon with initial newscasts reporting a death toll of fifteen in Taiwan but final reports approximating more than 600 killed. Typhoon Morakat, which is Thai for emerald, had already caused the death of 21 people in the Philippines the previous week and as it swept through East Asia hundreds were missing due to severe floods, mudslides, and landslides. As reported in the New York Times, Taiwan's president Ma Ying-jeou said the storm which thrashed the island with rain for three days, had cost the country USD1.5 billion and destroyed the homes of 7,000 citizens. With a record 8 feet (244cm) of rain hitting southern Taiwan, the typhoon was the worst one to hit Taiwan in fifty years and left the country in severe distress.

A 5 Minute Guide to China's Disaster Relief and Prevention

In 2008 China experienced two natural disasters: snowstorms that halted mass transportation across the nation, leaving millions stranded and the Sichuan Earthquake that left thousands dead and entire cities leveled. Since then much has been done in the country to improve the disaster response and prevention. As one person said, China is disaster prone with earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, typhoons and droughts a regular occurrence. Vice Premier Hui Liangyu admitted, “the disaster reduction situation is still arduous as various natural disasters are frequent in China.” In recent history, the government has shown consistent dedication to reform the nation’s disaster plan. Here, I take a look at new initiatives and, in particular, the effects of the Sichuan Earthquake on China’s disaster relief strategy.