According to the new institutional reform program, the main responsibility of the new national health commission will be: draw up the national health policy, coordinate and deepen the reform of the medical and health system, organize the formulation of the national essential drug system, and supervise and manage public health, medical services and health emergencies, to formulate policies and measures to deal with the aging of the population and the combination of medical and health care etc. It will promote the implementation of the healthy China strategy and transfer the concept of cure the disease as the center to take the people’s health as the center. The new commission will integrate the responsibilities of the
National Health and Family Planning Commission, the deepening medical and health system reform leading group office under State Council, the office of the National Committee on aging duties and other health related agencies.
With the new commission promoting its work Chinese can expect the following changes in daily life in the future:
More measures on tobacco control
China has the world’s largest population of smokers, and more than 1 million people die each year from tobacco related diseases. In order to prevent the harm of tobacco and protect the health of the people, the government of China signed and approved the WHO Framework Convention on tobacco control. Since the entry into force of the Framework Convention on tobacco control, many efforts have been made in China, but the road to performance is still struggling. The smoking rate of adults is still 27.7%. One major reason to the Chinese smoking rates remain high is: in the past, the Ministry of industry and commerce was not only responsible for the operation and management of tobacco companies, but also is responsible for the implementation of the Framework Convention on tobacco control in China, which means the ministry had two completely different functions and had a direct interest conflict. With this institutional reform, China’s implementation team will liberated from tobacco interests and returned to public health area. The performance team led by the new of health commission, will get rid of the tobacco industry interference, intentness to formulate and implement national smoke-free legislation, tobacco tax price adjustment, the graphic warnings on cigarette packets and other comprehensive measures to realize the health Chinese target.
More effort on occupational safety and health supervision and management
The characteristics of occupational disease are controllable and difficult to cure. Occupational health protection is a large number of professional people, especially workers exposed to occupational hazards. In recent years, the cases of pneumoconiosis patients, such as “opening the chest to test the lungs”, have also made the occupational health a public concern of the public. In the future, we can expect the occupational health will be paid fully attention, more measures will be taken to protect the health of the workers, maintaining the rights and interests of the workers, and making the development of occupational safety and health deeper and stable for a long time.
More public service will be provided to elderly
It is expected that by 2020, the number of elderly people over 60 will reach 248 million in China, take seventeen point five percent of the total population In 2025, the number of elderly people over 60 will reach 300 million, take Twenty-one percent of the total population The proportion of the elderly over 65 will reach thirteen point seven percent, which is close to the aging society. With the new commission set up, it is expected more convenient public service for the old age people in the future. Such as build a service system for community elderly people; take various measures to improve the normal growth mechanism of retirees’ basic pension, actively promote social insurance and business insurance in urban and rural areas, and gradually establish the social security system for the elderly in urban and rural areas etc.
More health publicity activities
It is expected the new commission will pay more attention to popularize the scientific knowledge of medicine, maintaining healthy scientific methods etc. to advocate everyone to realize themselves are the first responsible person of their own health, and making the best of their health.