WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PerkinElmer, Inc., (NYSE: PKI), a global leader focused on the health and safety of people and the environment, today announced an agreement to serve as the exclusive collaborator with China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) in developing and implementing an extensive three-year newborn screening training program focused on early detection of life-threatening disorders in an effort to improve millions of lives across rural China.
This project, which is expected to substantially increase adoption and access to newborn screening in China, will leverage PerkinElmer’s innovative diagnostics technologies and expertise in setting up 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 counties 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 last year.
PerkinElmer will work closely with the National Maternal & 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 of 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 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.”
About PerkinElmer, Inc.
PerkinElmer, Inc. is a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and the environment. The Company reported revenue of approximately $2.2 billion in 2013, has about 7,600 employees serving customers in more than 150 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500 Index. Additional information is available through 1-877-PKI-NYSE, or at http://www.perkinelmer.com.