With economic development and changes in lifestyle, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, especially Type II, has dramatically increased to become one of the most significant clinical and public health problems in both urban and rural China. This proposed four-year project aims to develop and test a model for the prevention and control of diabetes mellitus in two rural xiangs or towns of Hunan Province.Target populations of 30,000 in these communities will be selected as intervention and control groups.The hopes are that the model intervention would be socio-culturally acceptable, effective, affordable and sustainable.  If so, it is expected that this model could be extended to similar areas and ultimately provide significant framework for policy on the prevention and control of diabetes and possibly other chronic non-infectious diseases in rural China.