According to the Zhitong Finance APP, on September 11, the State Council Information Office held a series of themed press conferences on "High-Quality Completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan." Guo Yanhong, Deputy Director of the National Health Commission, mentioned that in terms of new drug and vaccine research and development, the number of new drugs under research in China accounts for over 20% of the global total, ranking second in the world for new drug R&D. Several domestic innovative drugs, such as Sugemalimab, Ensartinib, and Gimatecan, have been successively approved for market release, filling the gaps in corresponding fields for domestic innovative drugs. The domestically developed anti-tumor drug Zebutinib has been approved for market release in multiple countries. In terms of vaccines, the domestic HPV vaccine has been widely used clinically, rapidly improving the accessibility and affordability of HPV vaccines in China. Recently, the domestic nine-valent HPV vaccine has been put into use, providing women with more comprehensive and accessible immunization options.

Shen Hongbing, Deputy Director of the National Health Commission and Director of the National Disease Control Bureau, mentioned that the immunization schedule for the DTP vaccine has been optimized and adjusted, and a supplementary vaccination for the polio vaccine has been carried out. This year, the country will also launch HPV vaccination services for eligible girls and include the HPV vaccine in the national immunization program to protect women's health. At the same time, the construction and application of electronic vaccination certificates will be promoted nationwide, optimizing the layout of vaccination units to facilitate nearby vaccinations for the public. Localities are encouraged to introduce policies such as time-slot appointments, weekend vaccinations, and home vaccinations for special populations to meet the diverse vaccination needs of the public, reducing the need for people to travel and wait, significantly enhancing public satisfaction.

Guo Yanhong, Deputy Director of the National Health Commission, mentioned that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we played a leading and coordinating role, working with relevant departments to implement a series of fertility support policies. In terms of economic support, childcare for children under three years old and children's education have been included in the additional deductions for personal income tax, with the deduction standard raised from the previous 1,000 yuan per child per month to 2,000 yuan per child. All provinces have included assisted reproductive technology projects in medical insurance reimbursement, with over 60% of coordinated areas directly distributing maternity benefits to individuals. In terms of time support, most provinces have extended maternity leave and established spousal paternity leave and parental leave. In terms of educational support, various regions have expanded the supply of quality educational resources, waived the childcare fees for the last year of preschool, and many places have implemented the "multiple children in the same school" policy to facilitate parents picking up their children.

The transcript is as follows:

Shou Xiaoli, Director of the Press Bureau and Spokesperson of the State Council Information Office:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to the press conference of the State Council Information Office. Today, we are holding a series of themed press conferences on "High-Quality Completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan." We are very pleased to invite Mr. Lei Haichao, Director of the National Health Commission, to introduce the achievements in health and health work during the 14th Five-Year Plan period and answer questions of public concern. Also attending today's press conference are: Mr. Shen Hongbing, Deputy Director of the National Health Commission and Director of the National Disease Control Bureau; Ms. Guo Yanhong, Deputy Director of the National Health Commission; and Ms. Yu Yanhong, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the National Health Commission and Director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Now, let's first invite Mr. Lei Haichao to give an introduction.

Lei Haichao, Director of the National Health Commission: Dear media friends, ladies and gentlemen, good morning! First of all, I would like to thank the media reporters at home and abroad for their long-standing concern, help, and support for health and wellness work.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, health and wellness work has gone through an extraordinary five years. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the Party's leadership over health and wellness work has been comprehensively strengthened, institutional advantages have been fully utilized, and the capacity, accessibility, and equity of health and wellness services have been continuously improved and enhanced. In particular, the health level that the people care about has also seen continuous improvement.

Lei Haichao:

First, we adhere to prevention as the main focus and have built the world's largest disease prevention and control system. We have continuously carried out patriotic health campaigns, with broad public participation and action, leading to sustained improvement in health knowledge and literacy levels. Through these years of efforts, a comprehensive disease prevention and control system covering the central, provincial, municipal, and county levels has been established and improved, with service and guarantee capabilities significantly enhanced. In the Healthy China initiative, we have arranged 18 public health actions involving the public, further mobilizing social forces to participate in health and wellness work. According to surveys, residents' health literacy has continuously improved, rising from 23.2% in 2020 to 31.9% in 2024. It can be said that a social atmosphere is forming where the public enjoys learning about health knowledge and taking action.

We have launched a press conference on "Seasonal Solar Terms and Health," which some media friends present may have participated in. Every two weeks, we communicate with the public about health issues to pay attention to in daily life, fully utilizing the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine based on the changes in seasonal solar terms, which has been well received by the public. Additionally, starting last year, in response to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in China, we initiated a healthy weight management campaign that received widespread public response. Medical institutions at all levels actively provide outpatient services for healthy weight management, laying a good foundation for residents' health. Furthermore, we offer immunization services for 15 diseases to residents, further ensuring and improving public health through preventive measures and reducing the risk of infectious diseases. Monitoring shows that the premature mortality rate from major chronic diseases has been further controlled, and the incidence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and AIDS continues to decline or remain at low epidemic levels.

Lei Haichao:

Second, we have built the world's largest medical service system, with improvements in both service quality and efficiency. We continue to promote the decentralization and balanced distribution of medical resources, advancing the construction of national medical centers, national regional medical centers, and provincial regional medical centers, thereby improving service accessibility and service levels. Monitoring indicates that the gap in medical resources per thousand people between the eastern, central, and western regions is continuously narrowing. We have just launched the Medical and Health Strengthening Project, and yesterday the Chinese government website released the implementation plan and main content of this project. In the next five years, we will further strengthen the construction of the medical and health service system with a focus on grassroots levels, enhancing capacity and accessibility, promoting coordinated linkage between upper and lower-level medical institutions, and better providing health and wellness services for residents In the past five years, we have promoted the construction of a close-knit county-level medical community, and the collaborative relationship among medical institutions has been further strengthened. I just mentioned the largest medical service system in the world, which also includes the traditional medical service system, covering the widest area and having the strongest capabilities globally. We have consistently emphasized both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, promoting the effective integration of the two. According to statistics, by the end of 2024, the total number of medical and health institutions nationwide will reach 1.09 million, which can be said to be spread across urban and rural areas, with over 90% of residents able to reach the nearest medical service point within 15 minutes. In addition, the human resources for health services continue to expand, reaching 15.78 million by the end of last year, creating favorable conditions for providing better health services to the public. Furthermore, we have focused on improving service efficiency during the process, extensively carrying out minimally invasive surgeries and day surgeries, allowing many patients to complete surgical treatments within 24 hours without needing to stay in the hospital for long, greatly facilitating patients and enhancing efficiency. We have achieved high health service output with relatively low resource input, thanks to the hard work and significant contributions of medical staff during this period.

Lei Haichao:

The third aspect is that we continue to deepen reform and innovation, further highlighting the public welfare nature of the medical and health undertakings. We promote the coordinated development and governance of the "three medicines" — medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals. The number of residents covered by basic medical insurance remains above 1.3 billion, stabilizing at around 95%, significantly reducing the medical expense burden for the public. Additionally, we continue to carry out targeted support and team-based assistance in key provinces and remote areas, especially in Tibet, Xinjiang, and Qinghai. Through team-based assistance, local service capabilities have significantly improved. Starting this year, we require all tertiary public hospitals nationwide to carry out medical outreach services, which has become an institutional arrangement for health services. We have organized 82 national medical outreach teams composed of high-level tertiary hospitals, national medical centers, and regional medical centers to provide outreach medical services across the country. Moreover, provincial outreach medical service teams have also been established and will carry out relevant service activities. Our goal is to cover all resource-deficient counties with outreach medical services, allowing the public to access relatively high-quality medical and health services as close to home as possible. Additionally, we are advancing the deepening of medical and health system reform, adhering to a public welfare orientation in dynamic adjustments of staffing, adjustments of medical service prices, and reforms of the compensation system, promoting the experience of medical reform in Sanming, Fujian. Together with the Ministry of Finance, we support 70 public hospital reform and high-quality development demonstration projects nationwide, which have already achieved positive results.

Lei Haichao:

The fourth aspect is that we start from the issues close to the people, further enhancing the public's sense of health gain. As I mentioned earlier, traditional Chinese medicine services are now widely available in urban and rural medical institutions, gaining the trust and welcome of the public. Additionally, the funding for basic public health services has now increased to 99 yuan per capita, allowing us to include more health service projects and content into the basic public health service projects. Furthermore, we are strengthening the capacity building for pediatric, mental health, and hemodialysis services. This year, we publicly committed to serving the people and addressing practical issues in eight areas, and monitoring shows that progress in these eight areas of service is going well Fifthly, we actively improve the fertility support system and promote high-quality population development. In collaboration with relevant departments and localities, we have successively introduced a series of comprehensive fertility support policies and measures, including extending maternity leave, strengthening maternity services, implementing personal income tax deductions for childcare expenses, and gradually promoting free preschool education, to reduce the costs of childbirth, upbringing, and education. We are vigorously developing inclusive childcare services, and by the end of last year, the number of childcare places per thousand people reached 4.1. This year, we have begun to implement a childcare subsidy system, and eligible netizens are currently registering for claims through the internet and offline methods. According to the latest statistics, as of yesterday, the number of people who have filled out the forms has exceeded 80%, and the information system is operating well, with residents reporting that the filling process is convenient and efficient.

Lei Haichao:

Sixthly, we adhere to open cooperation and promote the construction of a community of human health. We resolutely implement the four major initiatives of global development, security, civilization, and governance, and strengthen health cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. At the end of last year, we held the World Traditional Medicine Conference in Beijing, which received good results. China has been conducting foreign medical aid work to other developing countries for over 60 years, sending medical teams to 77 countries and regions, providing good medical services to local residents, and receiving high praise and commendation from the recipient countries. More than 2,000 individuals have received national honors from the recipient countries, showcasing the responsibility of a major power.

Over the past five years, we have adhered to the principle of putting people and life first, and the health level of residents has continued to improve. According to statistics, by the end of last year, the average life expectancy of Chinese residents reached 79 years, with eight provinces having an average life expectancy exceeding 80 years. The infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate have continuously improved, and the health level of residents has steadily increased. Historically, the average life expectancy in 2024 has increased by 1.1 years compared to 2020, which is also a good improvement for developing countries.

I will first introduce these to the media friends present. Next, my colleagues and I are willing to answer your questions. Thank you!

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Director Lei Haichao, for your introduction. We will now begin the Q&A session. Please announce your news organization before asking your question.

People's Daily Reporter:

In recent years, the National Health Commission has vigorously implemented the Healthy China strategy and promoted the establishment of a high-quality and efficient medical and health service system with Chinese characteristics. May I ask how the construction of this service system is currently progressing? What achievements have been made in improving the medical experience for the public? Thank you.

Lei Haichao:

Thank you for your question; I will briefly answer it. We are working towards the goal of "serious illnesses not leaving the province, general illnesses being treated in cities and counties, and routine illnesses being addressed at the grassroots level," striving to solve the urgent and difficult problems faced by the public in seeking medical care, and providing comprehensive and full-cycle health services to residents. I will mainly introduce the progress from the following aspects:

Firstly, we are optimizing the allocation of medical and health resources, promoting resources and services to be closer to the residents. We are extending and sinking high-quality medical resources to the central and western regions, northeastern regions, populous cities within provinces, and grassroots levels. As I mentioned earlier, we have established national medical centers across the country, currently setting up 13 categories of 26 national medical centers. In collaboration with relevant localities, we have established national regional medical centers in some cities within provinces, with 125 already set up Some provinces are still building medical centers within their jurisdiction. According to our statistics, there are 114 provincial-level medical centers under construction, some of which have already been completed and are beginning to provide high-quality and convenient medical and health services to the general public. In addition, we are promoting urban public hospitals to provide counterpart support to county-level hospitals and community health service centers, with the aim of allowing experts from higher-level hospitals to provide diagnosis and treatment services at the "doorstep" of patients. At the same time, this also helps grassroots institutions improve their diagnosis and treatment levels and capabilities. As I just mentioned, the national touring medical service has been established as a systematic arrangement and will continue to be carried out nationwide in the future. The touring medical service will play a significant supporting role in optimizing resource allocation, especially in promoting the assistance of tertiary and secondary hospitals to grassroots institutions.

Secondly, we are promoting hierarchical diagnosis and treatment to enhance the continuity of medical services. We are encouraging various levels and types of medical and health institutions to implement functional positioning, improve the first diagnosis responsibility system, strengthen referral services, and establish a comprehensive remote service network. We have implemented a "distributed examination, centralized diagnosis" service model to promote mutual recognition of laboratory test results. Since the beginning of this year, we have eliminated the advance payment for outpatient services in medical institutions, and the level of advance payment for hospitalization has also been adjusted and reduced accordingly, which has been welcomed by the public. According to statistics, as of August this year, more than 200 medical examination chemical projects have been mutually recognized in 338 cities (states, leagues) nationwide, and resource-sharing centers for medical imaging, electrocardiograms, and central pharmacies in county areas have been widely established. The tight-knit urban medical groups in 81 cities are currently being piloted, and 2,199 counties and districts have initiated the construction of tight-knit county medical communities. By 2024, the number of medical referrals in both directions nationwide is expected to reach 36 million, an increase of 46% compared to 2020, making it more convenient for the public to transfer between different levels of care.

Thirdly, we are promoting the high-quality development of public hospitals and continuously improving the experience of the public in seeking medical treatment. We are promoting the experience of medical reform in Sanming, Fujian, according to local conditions. The State Council has established a coordination mechanism for deepening the reform of public hospitals. Just last week, the first plenary meeting of this coordination mechanism was held, and we will further promote the experience of medical reform in Sanming, Fujian, in our future work, adhering to the public welfare orientation, so that public hospitals can play a more positive and beneficial role in serving the public. According to our statistics, through the implementation of actions to improve medical services, 87% of public hospitals at the secondary level and above have launched appointment-based diagnosis and treatment services, reducing outpatient waiting times. More than 5,500 hospitals have established "one-stop" service centers, and the multidisciplinary integrated diagnosis and treatment service model has been promoted to more than 2,000 secondary hospitals and above. 83% of tertiary public hospitals have implemented day surgery services, allowing patients to address their health issues without long hospital stays. In addition, we have piloted a no-companion care service, with more than 4,000 medical institutions providing home care services through "Internet + nursing services," covering more than 60 service items. Internet hospitals have developed to 3,756 nationwide, allowing residents to access medical services provided by internet hospitals through their mobile phones. According to statistics, the number of diagnosis and treatment visits conducted by internet hospitals reached 130 million last year, greatly facilitating the public's demand for medical treatment. Furthermore, to meet the diverse and multi-level medical service needs of residents, Sino-foreign joint venture medical institutions and wholly foreign-owned hospitals have already been established in the country, with more than 60 Sino-foreign joint venture medical institutions reported This year, we have also increased the provision of pediatric and mental health services. Here, I would like to report that 99.5% of tertiary public general hospitals and 98.4% of secondary public general hospitals are now able to provide pediatric medical services. Our goal is that by the end of this year, all secondary and tertiary public general hospitals will be able to provide pediatric medical services. Additionally, 99% of cities have at least one hospital that can provide psychological outpatient services, and 97% of cities have at least one hospital that can provide sleep outpatient services, which has provided good assistance in alleviating some residents' psychological anxiety tendencies and addressing their emotional issues. Furthermore, as our journalist friends may know, since the beginning of this year, we have been promoting the nationwide implementation of the "12356" psychological assistance hotline. By May 1st of this year, we have achieved this goal, and every city can provide psychological counseling and health services to residents through the "12356" psychological assistance hotline. Thank you.

Lightning News Reporter:

"One elderly and one young" is one of the most concerning issues in the field of people's livelihood. Currently, the health needs of the elderly and children are growing increasingly. How can we safeguard the health of these two groups?

Lei Haichao:

I will ask Deputy Director Guo Yanhong to respond.

Deputy Director of the National Health Commission Guo Yanhong:

Thank you for your question. The National Health Commission focuses on these two key groups, "one elderly and one young," and has formulated and implemented a series of policy measures aimed at promoting healthy aging and facilitating the healthy growth of children, making the "setting sun" warmer and the "rising sun" brighter.

First, focusing on the "elderly," we are promoting an upgrade in elderly health services. In terms of the service system, by the end of 2024, there will be 1 national center for geriatric medicine and 6 national clinical research centers for geriatric diseases, with 6,151 secondary and above general hospitals having geriatric medicine departments, accounting for 84.6% of the total number of general hospitals. In optimizing services, we are promoting the construction of elderly-friendly medical institutions, with "green channels" for the elderly set up in 94.4% of secondary and above public hospitals, and medical social workers assisting the elderly in seeking medical treatment. We are shifting elderly medical services from a single disease model to a multi-disease co-treatment model. We are vigorously developing elderly care, home care, and "Internet + nursing services." In terms of health management, we currently provide approximately 140 million health management services annually for elderly individuals aged 65 and above. By 2025, we will add chest digital X-ray positioning examinations and glycosylated hemoglobin tests to free health check-ups for the elderly, provide initial screening for cognitive function, and promote graded and classified health services based on the age and health status of the elderly.

Second, focusing on "children," we are striving to enhance pediatric service capabilities. In terms of the service system, there are 3 national children's medical centers and 6 national regional medical centers for children, promoting the construction of pediatric specialty alliances to improve the diagnosis and treatment levels of major pediatric diseases and complex diseases. The vast majority of secondary and tertiary public general hospitals can provide pediatric services, and 80% of grassroots medical and health institutions can also provide diagnosis and treatment services for common childhood illnesses. In terms of pediatric medical resources, by the end of last year, the number of pediatric practicing (assistant) physicians reached 243,900, an increase of 49.3% from 163,400 in 2020 The number of children's beds per 1,000 children reached 2.47, an increase of 13.3% from 2.18 in 2020, significantly improving service accessibility and professionalism. In optimizing services, we have developed child-friendly hospital construction, child-friendly ward renovations, and added children's "care spaces."

In addition, through the national basic public health service project, health checks and guidance are provided for urban and rural children aged 0-6 across the country, serving approximately 80 million children annually. In response to the prominent issue of "little glasses" among children, we have conducted eye care and vision checks for children aged 0-6, achieving a coverage rate of 95.4% for this work by 2024. To protect adolescents from the harms of tobacco, we actively promote the construction of smoke-free environments, including smoke-free schools, strengthen science popularization, and guide adolescents to establish the awareness that they are the "primary responsible person for health." As a result of our efforts, the rates of myopia and smoking among adolescents in our country are both on the decline. Thank you.

Reporter from China News Service:

The work of disease control and prevention is closely related to the health of the people and is a key line of defense for public health. What work has the disease control department done to ensure people's health and serve the public? Thank you.

Lei Haichao:

Thank you for your question. I will ask Mr. Shen Hongbing to answer this question.

Deputy Director of the National Health Commission and Director of the National Disease Control Bureau, Shen Hongbing:

Thank you to this reporter friend for the question. Serving the people is the fundamental purpose of our party. We always adhere to our original mission, closely focusing on preventing and mitigating major epidemic risks, promoting the implementation of measures that benefit the people, and enhancing the sense of gain, happiness, and security of the people through effective disease control.

First, we strictly uphold the bottom line of public health and create a healthy and safe social environment. We optimize and adjust prevention and control policies and measures according to the situation, contributing to significant victories in COVID-19 prevention and control; quickly detect and promptly handle new emerging infectious diseases such as type I b monkeypox; and extinguish outbreaks of traditional infectious diseases like cholera as soon as they are discovered. We effectively control localized outbreaks of dengue fever and chikungunya, firmly maintaining the bottom line of preventing large-scale epidemics. We fully carry out post-disaster health and disease prevention work, achieving no major epidemics after significant earthquakes, floods, and other disasters. We fully ensure the health and disease control for major events, contributing to the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Hangzhou Asian Games, and Chengdu World University Games.

Second, we control key infectious diseases to safeguard the health of the people. We successfully obtained the World Health Organization's certification for malaria elimination, marking another important milestone in our disease control history. The national incidence of tuberculosis and levels of hepatitis infection continue to decline, and AIDS remains under control at low epidemic levels. We have achieved the interruption of schistosomiasis transmission at the national level, and the incidence of key parasitic diseases has also dropped to historic lows.

Third, we strengthen health education to improve the disease prevention capabilities of the public. We release weekly monitoring results of multiple pathogens for respiratory infectious diseases, and for key diseases of public concern such as tuberculosis and influenza, we organize authoritative experts to provide popular science interpretations of disease characteristics, transmission channels, and protective measures. In line with the seasonal epidemic patterns of diseases, we proactively release information on key infectious disease situations and prevention knowledge before epidemic seasons and major holidays, conduct health risk alerts, and advocate for healthy lifestyles. We collaborate with the China Meteorological Administration to issue health risk warnings and health tips for high temperatures, providing the public with scientific and practical health guidelines for hot weather Fourth, we will implement measures to benefit the people, enhance service efficiency, and improve public satisfaction. We have optimized and adjusted the immunization schedule for the DTP vaccine, conducted supplementary vaccinations for the polio vaccine, and this year the country will also launch HPV vaccination services for eligible girls, incorporating the HPV vaccine into the national immunization program to protect women's health. At the same time, we are promoting the construction and application of electronic vaccination certificates nationwide, optimizing the layout of vaccination units to facilitate nearby vaccinations for the public, and encouraging localities to introduce policies such as time-slot appointments, weekend vaccinations, and home vaccinations for special populations to meet the diverse vaccination needs of the public, reducing the need for people to travel and wait, significantly enhancing public satisfaction. Thank you!

CCTV Reporter:

The public hopes to receive timely and convenient medical and health services close to home. How is the National Health Commission working diligently to improve the accessibility of services? Thank you.

Lei Haichao:

Thank you for your question; I will answer this. Grassroots medical and health institutions are distributed across vast urban and rural areas, communities, streets, towns, and villages. The public hopes to receive medical treatment nearby, which is everyone's primary wish. According to our statistics, from 2020 to 2024, the number of grassroots medical and health institutions has increased from 970,000 to 1,040,000, and the number of health personnel has grown from 4.34 million to 5.26 million, with the number of medical service visits increasing from 4.1 billion to 5.3 billion. This indicates that the public's utilization of grassroots services is increasing, and the proportion of medical visits at grassroots medical services has shown an upward trend in recent years.

In recent years, we have made significant efforts to improve medical services. As mentioned earlier, we are fully promoting the construction of closely-knit county-level medical communities, implementing the "Quality Service at the Grassroots Level" initiative, and pushing for various convenience measures to be implemented at the grassroots level, focusing on strengthening the construction of departments such as general practice, pediatrics, rehabilitation, and traditional Chinese medicine that the public needs. 95% of urban community health service centers offer extended outpatient services or holiday outpatient services; 85% of community health service centers and township health clinics provide weekend immunization outpatient services; we have enriched the content of family doctor contract services, emphasizing tangible benefits for contracted services, especially for key populations such as the elderly, children, and women; at the same time, we have expanded the list of medications available at grassroots medical and health institutions. According to monitoring, the types of medications for common and frequently occurring diseases at the grassroots level have increased by 42, enhancing the accessibility of medications. Currently, 95% of community health service centers and township health clinics can provide long prescription services, reducing the need for patients to travel between home and medical institutions, with prescriptions lasting up to two to three months.

Secondly, we are making significant efforts to support grassroots institutions. We have sent senior medical personnel from county-level medical institutions to provide long-term support to township health clinics and community health service centers. On one hand, this directly addresses the public's medical treatment needs; on the other hand, it helps towns and community streets enhance their medical and health service capabilities, promoting the improvement of grassroots service levels through new organizational methods such as telemedicine and mobile clinics. We have implemented a special program for general practitioners and a rural order-oriented free medical student training program. In recent years, we have jointly implemented a special plan for college students to work as rural doctors with relevant departments such as the Central Organization Department, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and Ministry of Education. Over the past few years, more than 10,000 college graduates have volunteered to provide medical and health services at the village level The third aspect is to make efforts to ensure investment. The central and local finances continue to increase investment in grassroots health services, with the financial subsidy for basic public health services rising from 74 yuan per capita in 2020 to 99 yuan per capita this year. The scope of services has been continuously expanded, and Comrade Guo Yanhong has just introduced the services aimed at the "elderly and children." According to statistics, the basic medical and health services provided to key populations have reached a scale of over 1 billion person-times. The service content is also continuously optimized and adjusted. In addition, we have worked with the National Healthcare Security Administration to include qualified village clinics into the basic medical insurance designated management, now the coverage ratio of administrative villages has increased to 97%, allowing the public to seek medical treatment and reimbursement at their "doorstep," greatly facilitating the people.

As I mentioned earlier, on August 29, the State Council executive meeting reviewed and approved the Medical and Health Strengthening Foundation Project. In the coming time, we will further consolidate capabilities and improve levels around the three aspects of "grassroots, foundation, and basic," apply new intelligent diagnostic and treatment service technologies, further increase the support and assistance of higher-level medical and health resources to lower-level institutions, and strengthen their collaborative relationships to provide safe, effective, systematic, and convenient medical and health services for the people. Thank you.

Reporter from Farmers' Daily:

Now the public is increasingly fond of traditional Chinese medicine, and it is becoming more convenient to see a TCM doctor at their doorstep. May I ask, in recent years, in what aspects has the service capacity of traditional Chinese medicine improved? Thank you.

Lei Haichao:

This question will be answered by my colleague Director Yu Yanhong.

Member of the Party Leadership Group of the National Health Commission and Director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yu Yanhong:

Thank you for your question. Making it convenient for the public to see TCM doctors and use Chinese herbal medicine with confidence has always been our effort direction and goal. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, we have adhered to a people-centered health approach, increased investment while innovating mechanisms, focused on building high grounds, strengthening grassroots, addressing shortcomings, and optimizing layouts, fully leveraging the unique advantages of TCM in Healthy China.

First, the TCM service system has been continuously optimized and improved. By establishing national medical centers for TCM and TCM inheritance and innovation centers, a number of TCM high grounds have been created; through the construction of TCM projects in national regional medical centers and key hospitals with TCM characteristics, the expansion and balanced layout of high-quality TCM medical resources have been promoted. The coverage rate of county-level TCM medical institutions has reached 96%, and many county-level TCM hospitals have taken the lead in forming closely-knit county medical communities. About 90% of public comprehensive hospitals at or above the secondary level have set up TCM clinical departments, and community health service centers and township hospitals generally have established TCM clinics. From cities to rural areas, the TCM service network is becoming denser, forming a TCM service system led by national TCM medical centers and regional TCM medical centers, with various levels and types of TCM medical institutions and TCM departments in other medical institutions as the backbone, and grassroots medical and health institutions as the foundation, integrating prevention, health care, disease treatment, and rehabilitation, allowing the public to see TCM doctors at their doorstep.

Second, the quality and capacity of TCM services are continuously improving and expanding. With the core goal of enhancing TCM's ability to prevent and treat diseases, we are building national TCM specialty advantages, TCM and Western medicine collaborative "flagship" hospitals and "flagship" departments, carrying out clinical collaboration between TCM and Western medicine for major difficult diseases, and consolidating and expanding the unique advantages of TCM Many comprehensive hospitals have established mechanisms for the coordinated development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine, as well as multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment systems. They conduct joint ward rounds and consultations between TCM physicians and Western medicine physicians, leveraging the combined advantages of both medical systems, which has significantly improved clinical efficacy for cancers, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, infectious diseases, and more. The integration of TCM and Western medicine, as well as the concurrent use of TCM and Western pharmaceuticals, is a major characteristic of China's epidemic prevention and control efforts. In 2024, the total number of TCM consultations nationwide increased by 60% compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan.

Thirdly, high-quality services further highlight the warmth of TCM. By conducting hospital performance monitoring and grading assessments, TCM hospitals are guided to leverage their unique advantages. Efforts to improve TCM services have been deepened, promoting the patient-centered concept throughout all aspects of medical services. The government website has launched a "Convenient Medical Navigation" platform, providing the public with easy and quick access to TCM medical information and appointment booking pathways. At the same time, high-quality works such as the "China Traditional Chinese Medicine Conference" and "Herbal Essence" have been launched, and regular health promotion theme press conferences on TCM have been held to promote TCM health knowledge to the general public. Thank you!

Reporter from Hong Kong Bauhinia Magazine:

The national "14th Five-Year Plan" outlines the need to "weave a tight national public health protection network and reform the disease prevention and control system." May I ask what landmark achievements have been made in the field of disease control during these five years? Thank you.

Lei Haichao:

This question will be answered by Comrade Shen Hongbing.

Shen Hongbing:

Thank you for your question. The "14th Five-Year Plan" is a period of systematic restructuring and rapid development for the national disease control system. The Party Central Committee and the State Council have made significant decisions and deployments to reform and improve the disease control system, and a modern disease control system with Chinese characteristics has been initially established, achieving a leap in core disease control capabilities.

First, the governance mechanism is more coordinated. Disease control bureaus have been established at all levels from national to local, strengthening business leadership and work coordination, and a nationwide collaborative work pattern has begun to take shape. Party committees and governments at all levels have established joint prevention and control mechanisms to coordinate various departments and units in carrying out prevention and control work together. Various forms of cross-departmental and cross-regional information sharing, consultation, and linkage mechanisms have been established. The integration of medical and preventive measures has been promoted, with pilot programs for disease control supervisors in medical institutions and granting prescription rights to public health physicians. Public health committees have been set up in village (community) committees to enhance grassroots governance capabilities.

Second, monitoring and early warning systems are more sensitive. The infectious disease monitoring system covers 84,000 medical institutions, 28,000 fever clinics, and 1,041 sentinel hospitals nationwide. Monitoring channels have expanded from fever clinics and sentinel hospitals to pathogen microbiology laboratories, vector monitoring, and urban sewage monitoring stations. The monitoring of syndromes has expanded from one category to five categories, covering more than 90 types of pathogens. The implementation of "multi-disease simultaneous monitoring with the same sample for multiple tests" has significantly improved monitoring efficiency. A national and provincial coordinated regional infectious disease monitoring, early warning, and emergency command information platform has been established, and intelligent monitoring and early warning software has been deployed in medical institutions at the secondary level and above across the country, with initial results seen in the construction of a smart multi-point trigger monitoring and early warning system.

Third, emergency response is more efficient. The capability for rapid pathogen identification and characterization has significantly improved, with 29 provinces establishing biosafety level 3 laboratories, and all provincial-level and over 90% of municipal disease control centers equipped with nucleic acid testing and virus isolation capabilities. Epidemiological investigation capabilities have been upgraded, consolidating and expanding the collaborative investigation mechanism among departments, and promoting the application of new technologies such as the 95120 national telephone investigation system The emergency response team's strength is continuously being enhanced, with the establishment of 25 national emergency response teams for acute infectious disease control. Each city and district now has its own infectious disease emergency response team, capable of quick reactions and timely responses.

Fourth, the support and guarantee have become more robust. The newly revised Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Law officially came into effect on September 1 of this year, further improving the legal level of prevention and control. The number of disease control professionals has increased by about 14%, accelerating the standardized training of public health physicians and the cultivation of high-level public health talents. National and provincial disease control centers have been designated as prevention medicine academies, organizing and implementing special research to strengthen the scientific foundation for prevention and control. We are deeply involved in global public health governance, working on the revision of international public health rules such as the "Pandemic Accord," while actively conducting public health assistance abroad, contributing Chinese wisdom and strength to the construction of a community of human health.

Jimu News Reporter:

The quality of traditional Chinese medicine is directly related to the health and lives of the people. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, what work has the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine done to promote the improvement of traditional Chinese medicine quality? What are the results? Thank you.

Lei Haichao:

Thank you for your question. This question will be answered by Yu Yanhong.

Yu Yanhong:

Traditional Chinese medicine is an important material foundation for the inheritance and innovative development of traditional Chinese medicine. Its quality is not only related to clinical efficacy but also concerns the health and safety of the people. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, we have adhered to the fundamental goal of promoting the improvement of traditional Chinese medicine quality, optimizing policy supply, and promoting collaborative efforts across multiple departments with comprehensive measures throughout the entire chain.

First, the foundation for the source guarantee of traditional Chinese medicine materials has been further strengthened. Good medicinal materials lead to good medicines. In terms of germplasm, we have built a high-standard germplasm resource bank and collected and preserved over 70,000 seeds, establishing a number of seedling breeding bases for traditional Chinese medicine materials, steadily improving the supply level of good varieties. In terms of planting, we are promoting the implementation of the "Production Management Specifications for Traditional Chinese Medicine Materials," promoting ecological planting and other cultivation techniques, and continuously expanding the supply of high-quality traditional Chinese medicine materials. At the same time, artificial breeding and research on alternative products for key varieties such as Chuanbei have achieved phased results.

Second, the effectiveness of technological innovation in empowering quality improvement is increasingly evident. In terms of innovation platform construction, a number of national-level innovation platforms have been established in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, including national key laboratories, national engineering research centers, and national medical research and education integration innovation platforms, with the improvement of traditional Chinese medicine quality as a key construction content and task. The China Traditional Chinese Medicine Evidence-Based Medicine Center has been established and promoted to become a World Health Organization international traditional medicine clinical trial primary registration platform, broadening the pathways and mechanisms for the evaluation and research innovation of traditional Chinese medicine quality. In terms of research project support, through a series of projects such as the national key research and development plan "Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine," we support key technology research on traditional Chinese medicine resource guarantee, ecological planting of traditional Chinese medicine materials, and quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine, integrating research into practical fields and clinical practice.

Third, the vitality of new drug research and development is continuously being stimulated. In collaboration with the National Medical Products Administration, we are deepening the reform of the review and approval system for traditional Chinese medicine, establishing a "three-in-one" review evidence system that combines traditional Chinese medicine theory, human experience, and clinical trials. We have released a directory of 324 classic ancient prescriptions, and since 2021, 57 new traditional Chinese medicine drugs have been approved for market, including 27 compound preparations from ancient classic prescriptions, significantly accelerating the research and development process of new traditional Chinese medicine drugs In March of this year, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Enhancing the Quality of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry," systematically deploying around the entire industrial chain of traditional Chinese medicine and establishing a new pattern of departmental coordination and interaction. In the next step, we will work with relevant departments to further promote the implementation and refinement of various key tasks, accelerating the high-quality development of the traditional Chinese medicine industry, allowing this treasure of Chinese civilization to shine with new and greater vitality and brilliance on the new journey. Thank you.

Reporter from 21st Century Business Herald:

In recent years, the state has introduced multiple fertility support policies, such as providing childcare subsidies, and many families have expressed their appreciation for these favorable policies. Please introduce the specific situation regarding the construction of the fertility support policy system during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period. Thank you.

Lei Haichao:

Thank you for your question. This question will be answered by my colleague, Guo Yanhong.

Guo Yanhong:

Thank you for your question. As the reporter mentioned, in recent years, the state has introduced multiple fertility support policies, achieving the effect of policy synergy. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, we played a leading and coordinating role, working with relevant departments to implement a series of fertility support policies. In terms of economic support, we have included childcare for infants under three years old and children's education in the additional deductions for personal income tax, raising the deduction standard from the previous 1,000 yuan per child per month to 2,000 yuan per child. All provinces have included assisted reproductive technology projects in medical insurance reimbursement, and over 60% of coordinated areas directly distribute maternity allowances to individuals. In terms of time support, provinces have generally extended maternity leave and established spousal paternity leave and parental childcare leave. In terms of educational support, various regions have expanded the supply of quality educational resources, waived the childcare fees for the last year of preschool, and many places have implemented the "same school for multiple children" policy to facilitate parents picking up their children. In terms of housing support, we have expanded the supply of affordable rental housing through multiple channels, and some places have increased the housing provident fund loan limits for families with multiple children. With joint efforts in various aspects, these related policies have synergized, and the effects are gradually becoming evident.

The National Health Commission is actively optimizing comprehensive fertility services. We have fully implemented five maternal and infant safety systems, established a pregnancy risk screening mechanism, and strengthened the special management of high-risk pregnant and lying-in women. The national management rate of pregnant and lying-in women and the newborn visit rate have both remained stable at over 90%. Director Lei Haichao just mentioned that in recent years, our maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate have continuously improved, ranking among the top in middle-income countries. We have also launched the construction of maternity-friendly hospitals, promoted painless delivery services, and improved the comfort of childbirth for mothers. We are comprehensively preventing and treating birth defects, supporting over 80,000 children from economically disadvantaged families.

We are also vigorously developing inclusive childcare services. By supporting comprehensive childcare service centers, childcare institutions, and employer-provided childcare services, we are expanding the supply of childcare services. Various regions have also implemented construction subsidies, operational subsidies, and other measures to reduce childcare service prices, providing inclusive childcare services for the public. By 2024, the number of childcare places nationwide is expected to reach 5.737 million, an increase of 126% compared to the end of the "13th Five-Year Plan."

Recently, we have implemented a childcare subsidy system, providing subsidies to families with children under three years old who meet legal and regulatory requirements. This is an important livelihood project that "invests in people," and it is also a systematic arrangement to strengthen fertility support and promote a fertility-friendly environment Currently, both online and offline application channels have been fully opened, and the application work is progressing in an orderly manner. As of 9 a.m. yesterday, over 24 million declaration information has been submitted nationwide, accounting for about 80% of the target population. At present, various regions are accelerating the review and distribution work to ensure that childcare subsidies can be delivered to the public in a timely and sufficient manner. Thank you.

Beijing Youth Daily Reporter:

During this year's National Two Sessions, Director Lei proposed that everyone engage in healthy weight management, sparking a nationwide trend in weight management. It has been six months now; could you provide an update on the progress? Adolescents and children are the hope of our country. What work have we done to promote the health of adolescents and children during the 14th Five-Year Plan period? What progress has been made? Thank you.

Lei Haichao:

Thank you for your question. I will address the relevant situation in this regard. Weight is an important indicator of growth and health levels in a person's life. For adolescents, under normal growth and development curves, weight will continuously increase. Therefore, children and adolescents do not need to be overly anxious about weight issues, but we must also prevent weight development from being too slow or the emergence of "little chubby" situations. We need to prevent both "little bean sprouts" and "little chubby" conditions. It is important to remind parents to pay attention to this; we can refer to the growth and development curves of children and adolescents to see if the growth and development status of children at specific age stages is normal. For adults, weight is also a very important indicator of health levels and the predictive nature of physical diseases. Why should we pay attention to weight and control our weight? Because weight is associated with various chronic diseases. If weight can be managed well, it can avoid the occurrence and development of some chronic non-communicable diseases. Last year, we launched the Weight Management Year initiative, clearly stating that it would be implemented over three years. This year, we further incorporated healthy weight management into the Healthy China initiative, aiming to continuously advocate and guide the public to pay more attention to healthy weight. Additionally, through reasonable diet, appropriate exercise, and regular routines, we can cultivate healthy lifestyles to maintain our health at a relatively good level. Since the launch of this initiative, it has received a positive response from the public, exceeding expectations. On one hand, the public has actively participated; on the other hand, the media has conducted extensive follow-up and rolling coverage. According to the latest statistics, over 4,500 secondary and tertiary hospitals nationwide have established healthy weight management outpatient clinics, and some primary hospitals, community health service centers, and township health clinics have also opened related outpatient services, where people can receive targeted help and guidance.

Recently, I also encountered some former colleagues and friends whom I hadn't seen for about six months to a year. I suddenly noticed that their mental state had improved significantly. Some told me they had lost 5 kilograms or 8 kilograms, and their personal vitality and self-perception were very good. From a longer-term perspective, this is very helpful for maintaining health and reducing the occurrence of some cardiovascular diseases, including tumors. Such actions should be sustained and carried out in the long term.

September is the National Healthy Lifestyle Promotion Month. Here, I continue to call on the whole society to actively take action, through reasonable diet, nutritional improvement, appropriate and scientific physical exercise, and regular routines, to cultivate healthy and good lifestyles, ensuring that everyone's weight remains in a relatively healthy and stable state, thus avoiding the occurrence and development of other diseases in the future Regarding the health levels of children and adolescents. I want to emphasize here that children and adolescents are the future of our country, and their health levels are related to their lifelong health status. Therefore, in addition to children and adolescents paying more attention to themselves, parents and guardians, in particular, should focus on the health and growth of their children. Here, I would like to report that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the incidence of macrosomia has decreased for five consecutive years, and the overweight and obesity rate among children under six years old has dropped from 10.4% five years ago to 9.7%. The nutritional status of children in our country continues to improve, with the stunting rate among children under six years old decreasing to 4.5% and the low weight rate dropping to 1.4%. Both of these indicators have shown continuous improvement. For males and females aged 6-17, the average height has increased by 2.1 cm and 2.2 cm, respectively. Overall, the growth, development, and health status of Chinese children and adolescents are also continuously improving. This indicates that the improvement in residents' health literacy, attention to healthy living, and the development of good living habits have all played an important role. I hope that every citizen and family member can live in a sunny, healthy, and happy environment, thereby participating in social life in an orderly and effective manner, arranging their studies and work well, and actively contributing to social development. Thank you!

Shou Xiaoli:

Due to time constraints, the last question.

Reporter from Xin Huanghe Client:

With the development of technology, we see that new technologies such as surgical robots are changing traditional medical consultation and healthcare scenarios. What important achievements has the National Health Commission made in promoting health technology innovation? Thank you.

Lei Haichao:

I will ask my colleague Guo Yanhong to answer this question.

Guo Yanhong:

Thank you for your question. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, a large number of health workers have made great strides in promoting technological innovation and progress. The overall strength of health technology has continued to improve, achieving a series of breakthrough advancements and landmark results.

First, in the research and development of new drugs and vaccines, the number of new drugs under research in our country accounts for over 20% of the global total, ranking second in the world for new drug development. Several domestic innovative drugs, such as Sugli monoclonal antibody, Ensartinib, and Gimatecan, have been approved for market release, filling the gaps in corresponding fields for domestic innovative drugs. Our independently developed anti-tumor drug Zebutini has been approved for market release in multiple countries. In terms of vaccines, the domestic HPV vaccine has been widely used in clinical settings, rapidly improving the accessibility and affordability of HPV vaccines in our country. Recently, the domestic nine-valent HPV vaccine has been put into use, providing women with more comprehensive and accessible immunization options.

Second, in the innovation of medical devices and equipment, our independently developed photon-counting CT has improved spatial resolution by 2-3 times compared to traditional CT, with faster scanning speeds and significantly reduced radiation doses, resulting in better efficiency and effectiveness. Domestic orthopedic surgical robots and endoscopic soft tissue surgical robots have been successfully developed, greatly improving surgical precision and reducing trauma for patients. Products such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), artificial hearts, and proton heavy ion radiation therapy equipment have all achieved independent research and development and have been put into clinical application, allowing more patients to "use, afford, and benefit from" high-end domestic medical equipment Thirdly, in terms of producing high-level disease prevention and treatment solutions in China, the research on new immunotherapy methods for colorectal cancer supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program has increased the treatment effectiveness rate for refractory, immune-resistant metastatic colorectal cancer from the original 13% to 44%, and the progression-free survival time for patients has been extended by 61%, achieving the best efficacy in the international field; we support the reconstruction and optimization of emergency stroke diagnosis and treatment processes centered on "patients," reducing the average time from hospital admission to thrombolytic therapy from the original 60 minutes to now less than 30 minutes, greatly improving efficacy. The research on the diagnosis and treatment system for important organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus has achieved precise prediction and quantitative assessment of disease progression and organ damage, creating a personalized treatment "Chinese model," which has been elevated to an internationally leading level. It can be said that technological innovation has effectively enhanced the capacity and technical level of medical and health services, significantly improving treatment outcomes, and has played an important role in safeguarding people's health and supporting the high-quality development of the health sector. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Director Lei Haichao, thank you to all the speakers, and thank you to all the journalist friends for your participation. This press conference concludes here, goodbye everyone!

This article is compiled from China.com, edited by Chen Wenfang of Zhitong Finance