There are 450 million famers in China who cannot afford to get hospital medical treatment. Disease has become one of the most significant reasons for poverty among Chinese famers in the countryside. According to a report from the southern mountainous areas of Ningxia, approximately 60% people there cannot afford to see a doctor, 33% cannot afford hospital stay, and 74.1% people live below poverty line due to diseases. Delaying medical treatment and misdiagnosis are common.. Most villages do not have clinics, and clinics that do exist are not equipped with even the basic equipment or well-trained doctors.
To help the government improve rural healthy conditions, the Chinese Red Cross Foundation (CRCF) launched the "Angel Program" in 2006 to offer medical support for farmers and children in rural areas.The program collects donations for the people that need the most help and are not supported fiscally by the government. One of the most effective projects within the “Angel Program” is the establishment of “Fraternity” village clinics, which provide medical equipment and medications for those in need of medical attention in the rural areas.
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