China issues action plan to raise health literacy for all nationals

BEIJING -- China has released a three-year action plan to further raise health literacy for all nationals from 2024 to 2027, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.

The health literacy among Chinese residents should be raised by an average of around 2 percentage points each year during this period, according to the plan jointly issued by the NHC, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration.

Major measures to achieve the goals include better promotion of the subject, regulating the release and dissemination of health information, building talent forces, and stepping up social advocacy and mobilization in this regard, the plan noted.

Health literacy is an important indicator of economic and social development and people's health level.

The plan highlighted the importance for non-health departments and communities to take part in health literacy efforts and the need to shift the focus from disease treatment to prevention.

It also designates June each year as the month for health literacy education.

In recent years, China's health literacy has steadily risen and reached 29.7 percent in 2023, the NHC said in April.