The ninth conference to boost China's health education and promotion campaign kicked off on Sept 21 in Beijing.

The ninth conference on China's health education and health promotion campaign kicked off on Sept 21 through 22 in Beijing. [Photo/nihe.org.cn]

A five-point mission was proposed at the two-day conference, according to Wang Hesheng, vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC).

Wang said that "health education and promotion are effective measures to increase people's awareness of public health, and are important strategies to realize the goal of the 'Healthy China' initiative."

Wang Hesheng, vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, addresses the conference. [Photo/nihe.org.cn]

President Xi Jinping urged authorities at all levels to consider public health when drafting policies, as he spoke for the first time on the proposed Healthy China strategy at a top-level meeting in late August.

The mission specifically includes formulation and implementation of a work plan on health education and promotion, improve the work plan, carry out a series of activities about health education and promotion, build more sites for health education and promotion, and carry out the popularization of science in an all-round manner.

A report on the health literacy of Chinese was released at the conference. The report suggested that the average health literacy of a Chinese person is a little more than 10 percent.

Song Jun, deputy director of the China Health Education Center, said that "it's still a long way to go to reach the 20 percent target set for 2020."

Hosted by the China Health Education Center, the conference also attracted over 200 health professionals from the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, and the All-China Women's Federation.

Wang Longde, president of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, addresses the conference. [Photo/nihe.org.cn]

Wang Longde, head of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, said the conference played an important role in building consensus and professional teams.

The World Health Organization Country Office in China and United Nations Children's Fund Office in China also sent representatives to the conference.

Representatives visit a show on health education and health promotion after the conference. [Photo/nihe.org.cn]