Healthy China Initiative meeting goals

Screening, early diagnosis and treatment programs will be stepped up, together with the promotion of healthy lifestyles, as part of efforts to tackle the rising incidence of chronic disease, a health official said on Tuesday.

Guo Yanhong, head of the National Health Commission's medical emergency response department, said that China will continue to push for the integration of treatment and prevention efforts against chronic illnesses.

Special attention will be paid to early screening for major issues like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and early diagnosis and treatment will be encouraged.

The goal is to reduce the mortality rate to below 190.7 per 100,000 population by 2030, and to increase the five-year survival rate for cancer to above 46.6 percent.

Guo was speaking during the opening ceremony for the 2023 Healthy China Initiative Development Conference in Beijing.

The initiative is a nationwide campaign launched by authorities in 2019 to promote overall national health, and runs until 2030.

Guo said that chronic disease accounts for 88.5 percent of all deaths in China and has been showing signs of affecting increasing numbers of young people in recent years.

Data released by the World Health Organization shows that adopting a healthier lifestyle, such as following a balanced diet, exercising regularly, quitting smoking and drinking, and maintaining mental health, are the most feasible and effective ways of reining in chronic illness.

Demonstration areas for curbing chronic disease, 488 of which have been set up nationwide, now cover 17 percent of all district-level regions.

Guo added that the country has been improving the monitoring system for incidence and death rates and for risk factors, and has released annual reports to broaden public understanding of chronic diseases.

She said that technical guidelines will continue to be improved, and medical institutions will be encouraged to step up screening and management.

Li Bin, vice-minister of the commission, said that China met the objectives laid out in the Healthy China Initiative for 2022 early, and the country's key health indicators are comparable to those of other leading upper-middle-income countries.