China steps up efforts to build a Healthy China by 2035

China has outlined new priorities for its healthcare system as it works toward building a Healthy China by 2035, with a stronger focus on disease prevention, health management and medical innovation.

A national meeting on health was held in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday, the first such meeting in 10 years. Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the meeting and called for efforts to firmly follow a path with Chinese characteristics in developing the country's health programs and secure decisive progress in the Healthy China Initiative during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Six key capabilities were identified at the national meeting for building a Healthy China: health management, disease prevention and control, medical services, medical insurance support, pharmaceutical innovation and talent development.

Huang Luqi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, said Xi's speech offered profound answers to a series of major questions concerning the direction, foundations, and overall development of health work in China.

It laid out systematic plans and defined six core capabilities, providing a clear roadmap for building a Healthy China that is more balanced, inclusive, efficient and of higher quality, Huang said.

China has made significant progress in healthcare over the past decade. He Dan, director of the China Population and Development Research Center, said that China's average life expectancy has reached 79.25 years, a significant achievement for a country with a population of more than 1.4 billion.

The next challenge is to help people stay healthy as they age. Xi stressed that prevention is the most economical and effective health strategy, calling for a full-chain approach to chronic diseases covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and long-term management.

"Xi's clearly underscored that prevention is the most economical and effective health strategy," said Wang Jianwei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

This key conclusion reflects a far-sighted strategic vision. It calls for moving beyond treating diseases after they occur to addressing health risks proactively across the entire population and throughout the life cycle, accelerating the shift from a disease-centered approach to one centered on people's health, Wang noted.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, efforts must address persistent challenges, including limited healthcare capacity at the primary level, the heavy burden of major chronic diseases, and the uneven distribution of high-quality medical resources across regions, said Liang Tingbo, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine.

He stressed the need to respond to people's health needs throughout their lives, strengthen the continuum of care spanning prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, optimize the allocation of medical resources and improve the overall patient experience.

Improving medical services also depends on translating scientific and technological advances into practical applications.

"We should strive for breakthroughs in tackling major diseases that are of greatest concern to the public. This means not only improving diagnosis and treatment, but also developing new drugs, technologies and therapies, so that people can see and feel the tangible benefits of these advances in their own lives," said Jia Zhongwu, secretary of the Party Committee of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.