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Graphics: How China protects human rights by improving people's well-being
Updated 15:24, 18-Mar-2023
CGTN
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
 -   UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

China announced that it had successfully realized a "moderately prosperous society" in all respects in 2021. "Moderate prosperity" – xiaokang in Chinese – is measured according to multiple factors, including the economy, democracy, science and education, culture, society and people's quality of life.

As an essential task for or a primary indicator of the completion of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, all rural residents living below the current poverty line had been lifted out of poverty by 2020, marking the eradication of absolute poverty.

Graphics: How China protects human rights by improving people's well-being

The World Health Organization (WHO) constitution recognizes "...the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right of every human being," with the right to health including "access to timely, acceptable, and affordable health care of appropriate quality."

As part of its endeavor to ensure affordable and effective health care, China improved its care delivery and medical insurance systems, which have guaranteed rural services and helped to prevent people from falling into or reverting to poverty due to ill health.

Over the past 10 years, China has established the world's largest social security net, with basic medical insurance now covering more than 1.3 billion people, and basic old-age insurance covering over a billion people.

Graphics: How China protects human rights by improving people's well-being

By the end of 2022, national basic medical insurance had been expanded to cover 1.35 billion Chinese, thereby enabling 95 percent of the population to be reimbursed for hospital visits.

"Living a happy life is the primary human right," declares a white paper titled "Seeking Happiness for People: 70 Years of Progress on Human Rights in China," released by the State Council Information Office in 2019. It adds that China regards the rights to subsistence and development as basic human rights of paramount importance.

Data editor: Zhao Hong

Graphics designer: Mukesh Mohanan

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