Baidu Health and GSK Partner to Advance Preventive Health Management for Middle-aged and Elderly Populations in China

On November 6, at the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Baidu Health and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) officially entered into a partnership. The two parties will fully leverage their respective strengths, launching precise disease science education initiatives with shingles prevention as a pilot program. This collaboration aims to introduce new concepts in health management and disease prevention to the public, jointly advancing the development of China’s preventive healthcare management system.

Feng Bixia (left), Vice President of GlaxoSmithKline and Head of the China Vaccines Division; Chen Jie (right), Head of Innovative Business at Baidu Health

It is reported that, as a pilot initiative focused on the prevention of herpes zoster (shingles), both parties will leverage Baidu Health’s user access points, search big data, and core AI technologies to conduct online disease education campaigns targeting middle-aged and elderly populations. This effort aims to enhance health awareness among this demographic and expand their knowledge of health management and disease prevention. Users searching for herpes zoster-related content, such as “herpes zoster vaccine,” on the Baidu App can access Baidu Health’s customized section to view educational materials and health services related to herpes zoster prevention.

According to statistics, there are approximately 1.56 million new cases of herpes zoster annually among individuals aged 50 and above in China. About one-third of these cases result from viral reactivation. Herpes zoster is often accompanied by neuralgia, making it a significant issue affecting the quality of life for middle-aged and elderly populations. Currently, vaccination is the most effective measure for treating herpes zoster. However, awareness and acceptance of adult vaccines remain low among middle-aged and elderly groups, due in part to a lack of widespread preventive education. This has made the prevention and treatment of herpes zoster in this demographic particularly challenging.

Yang Minglu, General Manager of Baidu Health, stated, “As public health awareness continues to rise, targeted health education and science communication have become increasingly important. Baidu Health serves over 100 million users daily, addressing 200 million healthcare-related needs, and covers nearly the entire lifecycle of user health management. Through this collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline, we aim to leverage Baidu Health’s core strengths in digital innovation and artificial intelligence to effectively enhance disease prevention awareness among middle-aged and elderly populations, thereby safeguarding the health of the entire nation.”

As the leading online platform for medical and health science popularization and services, Baidu Health currently hosts 500 million authoritative educational articles. It is also actively contributing to raising national awareness of disease prevention and extending the reach of health education to a broader population. Yang Minglu, General Manager of Baidu Health, further stated that by leveraging the China International Import Expo (CIIE) as an international window, Baidu Health aims to partner with more stakeholders to actively explore new possibilities for applying “Internet + Healthcare” to precise disease education and preventive care, thereby providing greater support for the upgrading of the national health service system.