The day before global “Rare Disease Day,” JD Health, the online health platform subsidiary of JD.com announced an increase in the company’s’ ability to support those with rare diseases. Rare Disease patients struggle to get a proper diagnosis or adequate care. The medicines, expertise, and special foods they require are often unaffordable or completely inaccessible in their region.
This additional funding will be managed through the “Twenty Million Care Project”, aptly named because experts estimate that as many as 20 million people in China might be living with Rare diseases.
Twenty Million Care Project
The project has established a “new doctor searching map for rare diseases”. JD Health collaborated with Bo’ao Winhealth Rare Disease Medical Center to design this much-needed map. The tool compiles data on doctors with the most experience with treating certain Rare Diseases in China.
Project administrators can use the tool to match patients who suspect or may have been diagnosed with a Rare Disease with a database of professional resources to support their care decisions to ensure access to the best care.
Doctors treating patients with Rare Diseases can use the tool to connect with experts familiar with the disease and review confusing symptoms, syndromes, and best practices in managing care.
A challenge with Rare Disease treatment can be the lack of centralization of information historically making it hard for doctors, patients, and their families to have access to the information that is needed to provide comfort and care. JD Health’s “Twenty Million Care Project” seeks to fill that gap. Like many involved in the project, founder and former CEO Richard Liu believes more funding will expand the usefulness of the “Doctor-Searching Map for Rare Diseases” within communities so those who need it most can access it.
What the Map Does
When used for its intended purpose, patients and their families can use the Map to find doctors near their homes with experience in a Rare Diseases.
Depending on the location to the patient, the doctors can engage via an online consultation or make an in-office appointment.
Map Complemented by Rare Disease Medicine Initiative
JD Health’s leadership recognizes that tackling Rare Diseases requires a multi-faceted strategy. In parallel, the project is investing in making rare disease medications more accessible across the nation.
To further this effort, JD Health has been building out its medicine supply chain in communities since 2021. Today JD Health, can provide around 80% of Rare Disease medicines and related specialist food through the online Chinese marketplace. This makes JD the largest online retailer for the drugs and products needed to manage Rare Diseases.
Richard Liu has been building JD.com’s capabilities since the late 90s. And JD has expanded into a nationwide, cross-category drug store network combining logistical expertise with the power of making connections and partnerships worldwide over the last 20 years.
A Continued Commitment to Solving Real Problems
Well-known as a trailblazing company, JD Health saw a problem that entrepreneurs had yet to solve and are proud to have made Rare Disease medicines available when and where people need them while connecting patients with doctors who understand what Patients are going through and how to help.
In 2022, 71,000 patients used JD Health to access their life-saving medicines and locate the specialized care they and services they require.
Getting People Involved in the Solutions
“Twenty Million Care Project” has provided RMB 2.23 million yuan to patients with Rare Diseases struggling to afford care for 35 conditions. The project hosted 34 charity events and has raised more than RMB 700,000.
More than 50,000 merchants also made donations during these events.
JD Health’s CEO Jin Enlin believes Rare Diseases don’t just affect the patient. Everyone suffers when Patients with rare diseases are not able to access the care they need. As a result, Mr. Jin is committed to continuing to invest in improving the accessibility and affordability of services for these patients. He wants the Patients and their families to feel supported by their communities.
JD Health leaders also recognize that this problem needs the community, merchants, and individuals to collaborate to continue to raise awareness and increase support for those with Rare Diseases.