The National Health Commission, Ministry of Finance, National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and National Disease Control and Prevention Administration in China have jointly issued a notification to enhance basic public health services for the current year. The subsidy standard for per capita funding for basic public health services will see an increase of RMB 5, reaching RMB 94 in 2024. The additional funds and the cumulative financial subsidy increases from 2020 to 2023 will be directed towards expanding the beneficiary coverage to include the elderly, chronic disease patients, and rural women undergoing screenings for breast and cervical cancer.
The document outlines plans to strengthen health services for elderly individuals aged 65 and above, refine health services for the elderly and those with chronic diseases, and optimize family doctor service packages and the ‘health redeem points’ exchange system. While continuing to focus on health services for hypertension and diabetes, the document also calls for the inclusion of health services for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Efforts related to epidemic prevention and control and respiratory disease prevention will be integrated.
Designating 2024 as the Weight Management Year, the notification encourages grassroots medical and health institutions to offer ‘health redeem points’ to residents in exchange for their control of health indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, and waist circumference, as well as their active engagement in self-health management. Residents can redeem these points for corresponding health service projects.
Furthermore, the document advocates for the opening of residents’ electronic health records to individuals and their practical application. By 2024, it is expected that at least 40% of residents’ electronic health records will be accessible at the county (autonomous region, city) level in each province (autonomous region, city). The population development strategy will be intensified, leveraging the role of artificial intelligence and big data to provide personalized health education and medication guidance. – Flcube.com
