A medical worker gets a newborn baby's commemorative footprint at a hospital in Shijiazhuang, north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 22, 2023. [Photo by Chen Qibao/Xinhua] |
BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhua) — China's maternal and infant mortality rates both dropped to historic lows in 2022, according to data from the National Health Commission.
The country's maternal death rate dropped from 43.2 per 100,000 in 2002 to 15.7 per 100,000 in 2022, while infant mortality declined from 37.6 per 1,000 in the early days of reform and opening up to 4.9 per 1,000 last year, official figures show.
The mortality rate of children under 5 fell to 6.8 per 1,000 in 2022, marking another record low, according to the commission.
The World Health Organization considers average life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality rates as the main indicators of the health level of a country's people.
China aims to reduce the maternal mortality rate to under 12 per 100,000 and the mortality rate of children under 5 to less than 6 per 1,000 by 2030, said Song Li, head of the commission's department of maternal and child health.
The government is implementing a package of action plans to improve maternal and child health, while making related services more equitable, accessible and convenient.
At present, the testing rate of HIV/AIDS, syphilis and hepatitis B in pregnant women is over 99 percent in China, while the mother-to-child transmission rate of HIV/AIDS has dropped to 3 percent amid efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission of these diseases.
Since 2009, China has been promoting a program to raise cervical and breast cancer screening.
Covering over 90 percent of county-level regions across the nation, the program has provided free cervical cancer screening for 180 million women and free breast cancer screening for nearly 100 million women.
The National Health Commission also launched a nationwide project this year to provide infants under 3 and their caregivers with nutritional feeding assessments, counseling and guidance, as well as parenting risk screening and regular health management follow-up services, especially aimed at those in rural areas.
"China has been reforming its medical services for children in recent years," said Ni Xin, director of the National Center for Children's Health, noting that the government has set up one national and five regional children's medical centers to ensure more equitable allocation of pediatric medical resources in different regions.
The National Health Commission would take steps to ensure more quality resources go to grassroots medical institutions, while implementing stimulus measures to ensure that pediatricians are well trained and willing to stay at the primary level, Song said.
(Source: Xinhua)
32.3KPlease understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
Insider Q&A: CIA's chief technologist's cautious embrace of generative AI
Annie Kilner is seen for the first time since welcoming her fourth son with husband Kyle Walker
Amanda Holden showcases her toned figure in an elegant coral red dress as she runs errands
Croatia election: A showdown between president and prime minister
Yu Darvish extends scoreless innings streak to 25 in Padres' 9
Moment Home Office cops kick down door in dawn raid to smash 'sophisticated' people
Party's over: Coyotes end tenure in the desert with raucous atmosphere before move
Banker's son, 22, on trial for 'drowning alcoholic dad in baptism
Target to lower prices on basic goods in response to inflation
Amanda Holden showcases her toned figure in an elegant coral red dress as she runs errands
Ohio judge to rule Monday on whether the state’s abortion ban stands
UK Conservatives suspend lawmaker as sleaze allegations swirl over possible misuse of party funds