A cardiovascular disease project, targeting people at grassroots level, as well as the doctors who treat them, was launched on Aug 11.

The program was put together by the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Pfizer China, a subsidiary of United States-based biopharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc.

The project aims to reduce the number of people dying from heart disease and related illnesses, and to reduce the economic burden of the patients. The program will also help train doctors, especially those in rural areas, to diagnose and treat such ailments.