A Chinese-produced vaccine against Japanese encephalitis has received prequalification from the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a statement made by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) on October 9.

It is the first Chinese-produced vaccine to be added to the WHO's list of prequalified medicines, according to the CFDA.

The move indicates that the WHO has given the vaccine a stamp of approval regarding safety and efficacy, and UN procuring agencies can source it.

The vaccine has been on the Chinese market since 1988 and about 600 million doses have been administered, reducing the incidence and casualty rates of Japanese encephalitis, the CFDA said.

The vaccine only needs to be administered in one dose, can be given to infants, and is less expensive than other similar products, said a WHO press release, adding that the vaccine will "make the protection of more children in developing countries easier."

Lottery Sales

China's lottery sales had reached 198.69 billion yuan ($32.43 billion) for the first eight months of this year, according to a Ministry of Finance announcement on October 8.

The figure was up by 17.6 percent, or 29.73 billion yuan ($4.85 billion), compared with the same period last year. Sales in August alone hit 24.62 billion yuan ($4.02 billion), up 24.9 percent year on year, with welfare lottery sales reaching 14.03 billion yuan ($2.29 billion), an increase of 20.2 percent year on year. Sales of sports lottery tickets in August surged by 31.8 percent year on year to 10.59 billion yuan ($1.73 billion).

The ministry attributed the jump in sales to the promotion of quiz-style games and more outlets for online lottery games.

According to China's regulations on lottery management, money raised through lotteries is to be used for the jackpot, management fees and public lottery funds only.

Hypertension Sufferers

At least one in five adults in China suffers from hypertension, or high blood pressure, an official with the national disease control agency said on October 8.

A total of 266 million people in China suffer from hypertension and, among those aged 15 and above, an estimated 24 percent have the condition, said Shi Xiaoming, head of the Chronic Diseases Division at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Approximately 40 percent of patients are not aware of their hypertension and only about 25 percent of patients receive treatment, Shi said.

About 15 percent of adolescents and 30 percent of obese adolescents have blood pressure levels that are higher than the expected level, but still within the healthy range, he added.

Shi warned that arterial diseases in particular have become a serious public health problem in China.

He attributed increased incidences of hypertension to changes in lifestyle and diet, saying that preventing the condition requires not only medication but also people's awareness.