China’s health approach advances the well-being of humanity
For a country of over 1.4 billion people, ensuring the health of its population is not merely a domestic priority, but also an important contribution to humanity.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, China has further stepped up efforts in ensuring people’s health, setting out the guiding principles for health work in the new era and making major decisions and arrangements for fully advancing the Healthy China Initiative. This has delivered historic achievements in the country’s health sector and laid a solid health foundation for national rejuvenation.
A series of facts and figures shows the profound changes in health. China has put in place the world’s largest systems for medical services, traditional medicine, disease prevention and control, and healthcare security. Its health services have seen steady progress in capacity, accessibility and equity, alongside continuous improvements in people’s health. China withstood the severe impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic — a remarkable feat for a populous nation like China.
The development of health services has brought concrete benefits to the Chinese people. So far, China has more than 1.1 million medical and health institutions. Over 90 percent of people in China can reach their nearest medical service facilities within 15 minutes. Its basic medical insurance covers around 95 percent of the population. In 2025, the average life expectancy in China reached 79.25 years. The infant mortality rate fell to 3.8 per 1,000, and the maternal mortality rate dropped to 13.4 per 100,000, making China one of the high-performing countries in maternal and child health recognized by the World Health Organization.
China’s approach to promoting people’s health epitomizes the country’s people-centered development philosophy. Through consistent efforts in medical and healthcare system reforms, capacity-building, legislation, and health promotion, among others, China has blazed a path of inclusive and balanced health development to ensure health for all — a solemn promise of the CPC and the Chinese government.
Undoubtedly, China’s all-round progress in its medical and health sector marks an important contribution to the sustainable development of humanity. As the world faces various health challenges, China has actively engaged in global health governance.
China has deepened cooperation with other countries in the medical and health sector, worked together to address cross-border public health risks, and solidly advanced the building of a community of health for all, contributing China’s strength to the global health cause. Traditional Chinese medicine has been introduced to more than 190 countries and regions. Since late 2012, China has dispatched medical aid teams to 59 countries and regions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, China supplied a multitude of anti-epidemic products to the world.
People’s health is an important indicator of socialist modernization. With clear goals and intensified efforts, China will unswervingly follow the path of health development with Chinese characteristics and advance the Healthy China Initiative to secure greater progress in enhancing people’s health. As a major country, China will also further participate in global health cooperation and governance to contribute more to the well-being of humanity.
Reference Link:- https://english.news.cn/20261013/9610e091f5354cd4be042b567f396f7d/c.html
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
