Under the theme "Reshaping the future of the scientific workforce through diversity and inclusion," the fifth World Laureates Forum on November 3 held the SHE forum for female scientists to share their stories.

CGTN reporter Wang Siwen spoke with Huang Hefeng, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Institute of Reproduction and Development at Fudan University.

Huang has committed herself to reproductive medicine and genetics for years.

CGTN: You've done a lot of work to prevent and control birth defects. What more is needed in this field?

Huang Hefeng: The health of newborn babies is very important. It is too late to wait until the baby is born, so we must educate couples and do a good job in popular science before pregnancy. Healthcare professionals can detect birth defects, but the treatment is very difficult. Some rare diseases can lead to birth defects, and once the baby is born there is almost no cure. These diseases are often genetic, so we have to explain it in a way easy to understand. According to China's National Health Commission, the rate of birth defects in our country is 5.6 percent, which is high globally. There are about 800,000 to 1.2 million birth defects each year, which is a big number and a big burden for families.

CGTN: What are the latest advancements in reproductive medicine?

Huang: Couples may know about things, like a good work-life balance, healthy diet, avoiding exposure to poisons, not taking poisonous drugs and so on. But there are also some new technologies. Carrier screening, for example, can help detect if a couple is at increased risk of having a baby with certain genetic diseases. 

There is also a blood test for pregnant women to find out if there is a risk of serious illness for the baby. Progress has also been made in neonatology, pediatrics and even intrauterine surgeries. That is to say, the operation can be performed on the baby when it's still in the mother's belly.

CGTN: From your perspective, what are the major contributions women have made to the advancement of science?

Huang: Actually, I never think about gender when it comes to scientific research. Believe it or not, the average life expectancy of Chinese people was only 35 years in 1949. In 2021, that number reached 77. Maternal and child healthcare have made huge contributions to that.

About 70 to 80 percent of maternal and child healthcare workers are women. I think women have made a lot of contributions to areas like safe and aseptic delivery, health care of newborns and prevention and control of birth defects.