China's Minister of National Health and Family Planning Commission, Li Bin, addressed attendees of the 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion in Shanghai on Nov 21.

The event was co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and National Health and Family Planning Committee of China under the theme of "Promoting health in the Sustainable Development Goals: Health for all and all for health."

Li spoke to attendees at the conference on the topic of building a healthy China and enhancing people's welfare.

She pointed out that the WHO organized the first Global Health Promotion Conference 30 years ago, which witnessed the release of the Ottawa Charter and marked a new age of health promotion. Tested by practice through the years, the Charter proved itself to be a great treasure in human history, she said.

Through many years of hard work, China has lengthened its average life expectancy to 76.3, achieved the main health indexes in the millennium development goals in advance, bettered the average levels of middle and high income countries, and effectively dealt with the health challenges of one fifth of the world population - with relatively little investment.

Li suggested that by 2030, major health risk factors will be under effective control, great enhancement of health services will be realized, major residential health indexes will reach the level of high-income countries and average life expectancy in China will be lengthened to 79. To reach such goals, she asked for an emphasis to be placed on the "six insists" initiative in the coming 15 years.

The first of the six points of insistence is on precautionary measures and the minimization of health hazardous elements. This incorporates the implementation of health literacy promotion actions and guiding the public to consolidate the concept of the four healthy corner stones; namely, "proper diet, moderate exercises, banning tobacco and limiting alcohol, and maintaining a psychological balance"

The healthy city and healthy village plan should be initiated to prevent air, water and soil pollution; promote public safety, with particular regard to drug safety; and construct a livable and healthy beautiful garden.

Secondly, governments at all levels should insist on downstream policy to enable residents have access to quality and convenient services. Investment in basic level medical service systems should be enhanced to promote remote medical services, one-on-one help, treatment (based on reservation) and quality nursing, and enhance the capacity of basic TCM services. It aims to achieve a fifteen minute medical service circle by 2030.

Thirdly, all relevant parties should insist on reform and innovation to form a basic medical and health system. The aim of this is to improve the treatment system and form a mechanism in which "patients with minor diseases go to grass root level clinics, while those with major diseases go to hospitals and others who need recovery go back to the community."

A modern hospital management mechanism should be constructed to enhance the service capacity and operational efficiency. The medical insurance system should be improved to enhance the medical insurance mechanism and service quality. Reforms should be made to the drug supply guarantee mechanism to maintain safety, efficiency and quality, and give the general public access to reasonably-priced drugs.

The final aspect of this is to improve comprehensive surveillance system to manage medical treatment services such as the use of antibiotics. This will attempt to stimulate the creativity of medical service staff through incentives, from increasing compensation, promoting staff in the work place and improving the working environment, to elevating social status.

The fourth aspect of the agreement is to adhere to health equality to ensure that everyone has access to basic medical and health services. Key emphasis should be placed on children, women, the elderly, disabled, floating population and low income people to ensure they have the equal opportunity to reach basic public health services and health promotion-oriented poverty alleviation projects. By carrying out the "one family one support, one person one policy and one disease one treatment" policy, nobody should be left behind for health reasons during the process of building a moderately well-off society in all aspects.

Fifthly, adoptees should adhere to the development of the health industry so as to meet the diverse needs of public health. They should make efforts to transform core technology to achieve real outcomes, try to eliminate the systematic constraints of resources flow in the health industry and do more research on land, taxation, credits, bonds and other supporting policies to cultivate five major industries: medical pension, medical tourism, intelligent medicine, fitness and leisure, and the healthy food industry.

Sixthly, health promotion should be integrated into all policies to allow people to build and share. Adoptees should stick to the "General Health" concept and merge health promotion into the whole process of economic and social planning, and the implementation of the policy. Moreover, they should pay attention to the joint participation of the public and general coordination, so as to achieve the vision that government, society and individuals desire through good governance.