Qualcomm and The George Institute for Global Health Establish the China Center for mHealth Innovation

BEIJING, Nov. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), through its Qualcomm^® Wireless Reach™ initiative, and The George Institute for Global Health, a not-for-profit medical and healthcare research organization dedicated to improving global health, today announced that they are collaborating on the creation of the China Center for mHealth Innovation (CCmHI) to support the Chinese central government's goal, as stated in the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2011-2015), of improving community healthcare in China.

Hosted by The George Institute for Global Health at Peking University Health Science Center and funded by Qualcomm Wireless Reach, CCmHI is positioned to become a world-class center for mobile health (mHealth) innovation. Working with central and provincial governments, CCmHI will help improve community healthcare in China by developing mHealth solutions, implementing clinical evaluations and contributing to strategies for the implementation and scale-up of effective and affordable mHealth tools.

CCmHI's main priorities are to:

• Build Chinese capacity in digital healthcare development and evaluation, including providing opportunities for student internships and fellowships.
• Develop and evaluate mHealth platforms designed to provide community healthcare workers with evidence-based, personalized guidance about the care of individual patients.
• Target the 10 leading causes of premature death and disability in China.
• Provide solutions that are effective in both urban and rural settings.
• Assist with the integration of mHealth strategies into national and provincial policies and guidelines.
• Support the development and expanded use of mHealth technologies globally.

Initially, CCmHI will conduct a landscape analysis of digital health policies, laws, standards, programs and research activities in China, all of which will inform CCmHI's pilot and flagship research efforts. CCmHI aims to develop and field test at least one mHealth program for chronic disease management in its first year, which will lead to larger scale mHealth programs in future years.

China's Twelfth Five Year Plan (2011-2015) prioritizes the development of affordable, quality, and accessible healthcare for the entire population. CCmHI will contribute to this goal through the development of innovative mobile technology solutions designed to improve community healthcare services. CCmHI aims to support the central government's deepened commitment to healthcare reform in the Third Plenum late last year, which includes improving technological advancement and development of the healthcare field and strengthening healthcare professionals' capacity.

With the rapid expansion of mobile internet connectivity across China, the potential exists to affordably create and link sophisticated digital health systems for healthcare workers, electronic health records, point-of-care diagnostics and systems that will enable regional health authorities to monitor and manage the quality and outcomes of community healthcare. Combined with consumer applications that provide tools for self-care using secure data transfer to a cloud-based server, these new digital health systems can enable solutions to healthcare delivery obstacles.

"The George Institute is proud to collaborate with Qualcomm in the establishment of CCmHI as a world-class center for mHealth innovation," said Stephen MacMahon, Principal Director of The George Institute for Global Health and Honorary Professor of Public Health at the Peking University Health Science Center. "There is a pressing need for fresh approaches to community healthcare in China and globally, particularly in resource-poor areas. CCmHI will address this need by developing new mHealth strategies designed to improve care for individuals at high risk of stroke and other prevalent causes of premature death and disability."

"Qualcomm appreciates the opportunity to work with The George Institute to help advance community healthcare in China," said Steve Mollenkopf, chief executive officer, Qualcomm Incorporated. "Since 2006, Wireless Reach has led programs that leverage advanced wireless technologies to achieve economic and social impact in underserved areas throughout China. To date, these programs have directly or indirectly benefitted nearly 850,000 people. Our investment in CCmHI is part of our continuing commitment to improve the lives of Chinese citizens and contribute to the creation of an innovation-based economy in China."

About The George Institute for Global Health and George Institute China

The George Institute for Global Health is a non-profit medical and healthcare research organization with a mission to improve the health of millions of people worldwide by providing the best evidence to guide critical health decisions, engaging with decision-makers to enact real change, targeting global epidemics – particularly of chronic diseases and injury – and focusing on vulnerable populations in both rich and poor countries. Established in 1999 in Australia and affiliated with The University of Sydney, the Institute today has 4 centres in Australia, China, India and the United Kingdom. It is affiliated with Peking University Health Science Center in China, the University of Hyderabad in India and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

The establishment of the China-Australia Partnership for Health in 2004 marked the beginning of the Institute's development in China. The George Institute for Global Health China was officially launched in 2007, and in 2012 it was designated an official affiliate of PUHSC.  Today the Institute is one of China's leading independent health research organizations working in partnership with governments, universities, hospitals and healthcare centres across China.

Globally, The George Institute has projects in more than 50 countries, has raised more than $500 million for global health research, and has been ranked among the top 10 research institutions in the world for scientific impact by the SCImago Institution Rankings World Report in 2011-2013. For more information, please visit:

Website: www.georgeinstitute.org or www.georgeinstitute.org.cn
Sina weibo: @乔治全球健康研究院
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-george-institute-for-global-health
Twitter: twitter.com/georgeinstitute
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegeorgeinstitute

About Qualcomm Incorporated

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. Qualcomm Incorporated includes Qualcomm's licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of its patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of Qualcomm's engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of its products and services businesses, including its semiconductor business, QCT. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

Qualcomm believes access to advanced wireless technologies can improve people's lives. The Qualcomm Wireless Reach initiative is a strategic program that brings wireless technology to underserved communities globally. By working with project collaborators, Wireless Reach invests in projects that foster entrepreneurship, aid in public safety, enhance the delivery of health care, enrich teaching and learning and improve environmental sustainability. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com/wirelessreach. 

Qualcomm and Wireless Reach are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries.

Qualcomm Contacts:
Tina Asmar, Corporate Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: [email protected]

Warren Kneeshaw, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: [email protected]

George Institute Contact:
Xiaoyun LI, Communications Coordinator, China office
Phone: 86-10-82800577 Ext. 212
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Qualcomm Incorporated

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