China is taking significant steps to enhance its healthcare system through a comprehensive \"health-first strategy.\" With over 20 percent of its population aged over 60, the nation is shifting its focus from merely treating diseases to maintaining overall health and well-being.
Outlined in a key reform resolution adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, this strategy emphasizes disease prevention and health management. Gordon G. Liu, dean of the Institute for Global Health and Development at Peking University, highlighted that this transition is a common feature of medical reforms globally, especially in aging societies.
As demands for medical services increasingly lean towards high-quality health management, chronic disease management, and long-term care, China recognizes the need to boost its capacities in disease monitoring, early warning, risk assessment, epidemiological investigation, testing, inspection, emergency response, and medical treatment.
Recent years have seen significant progress in combating chronic diseases and preventing epidemics. Action plans targeting four major chronic diseases, responsible for over 80 percent of the country's deaths, have been implemented. These plans include measures like increasing early awareness among diabetes patients and enhancing screening capacity for chronic respiratory diseases. Additionally, early screening services for prevalent cancers have benefited nearly 200 million women through cervical and breast cancer screenings.
In response to epidemics, China has established a direct reporting system encompassing around 84,000 medical institutions. Health authorities are committed to upgrading this system to strengthen risk monitoring capabilities further.
Expanding the coverage of family doctor services and long-term care insurance schemes is also a priority, aiming to provide home-based care for the population. This holistic approach requires coordinated efforts from various departments, integrating medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals.
The successful medical reform in Sanming, Fujian Province, serves as a model for the nationwide strategy. Zhan Jifu, the former head of the Fujian provincial healthcare security bureau, believes that this collaborative approach effectively meets the public's demand for healthier lives.
Furthermore, Liu emphasized the importance of reforming medical insurance systems in tandem with medical services. Exploring new payment methods is crucial to encourage more doctors to practice medicine and health management within communities and households, rather than remaining confined to hospitals.
Reference(s):
China deepens medical reform through 'health-first strategy'
cgtn.com
