The Poster News APP:

The health of women and children is a major public concern. Could you introduce the measures for ensuring their health over the past decade? What is your next plan under the new birth policy, which has created higher demands in this regard?

Du Xixue: 

Thank you for your questions. Maternal mortality, infant mortality, and the under-five mortality rates are key indicators for maternal and child health. They reflect a country or region's health service development and their social-economic development. In 2021, China's maternal mortality was 16.1 per 100,000, infant mortality 5 per 1,000, and under-five mortality 7.1 per 1,000, down 34.3%, 51.5%, and 46.2% respectively from the 2012 level.

Globally, among middle- and high-income countries, China's maternal mortality is far below the median 43 per 100,000, and its infant mortality and under-5 mortality are also lower than the average 9 per 1,000 and 11 per 1,000. With indicators for maternal and child health leading among middle- and high-income countries, China has been ranked among WHO's 10 high-performing countries for maternal and child health.

China's future plan for promoting high-quality maternal and child health services can be concluded as "two improvements," "two eliminations," and "one promotion." "Two improvements" refers to the improvement of the program for ensuring the safety of mothers and infants and the improvement of the program for ensuring the health of children; "two eliminations" refers to the action plans to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and hepatitis B and eliminate cervical cancer at a faster pace; "one promotion" refers to the action plan to promote breastfeeding for better physical growth and a greater mother-infant bond. Thank you.