China held its first forum on family health on December 24 in Beijing, promoting the concept of "grand health", which focuses on disease prevention and the participation of all family members.

The 2016 China Family Health Forum is held on December 24 in Beijing. [Photo by Jiang Xingguang/chinadaily.com.cn]

"Aging population, urbanization, splitting of nuclear families, and living far away from family members pose new challenges to family health," said Wang Pei'an, vice minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) at the opening ceremony of the 2016 China Family Health Forum, which lasted from December 24 to 25.

Wang Pei'an, vice minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission addresses the 2016 China Family Health Forum. [Photo/cfnews.org]

Wang said that healthy family construction should be built upon China's realities and pursue a development path with its own characteristics.

According to Wang, the construction should be people-centered and the prevention of diseases should be its top priority. 

In terms of medical treatment, equal importance should be ascribed to western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, said Wang.

"The basic-level family doctors serve as part of an effective treatment method," said Li Tao, director-general of the department of primary health at the NHFPC. "They are easy to reach and are quite efficient for ordinary people."

Li Tao, director-general of the department of primary health at the National Health and Family Planning Commission, addresses the forum on December 24. [Photo by Jiang Xingguang/chinadaily.com.cn]

The forum involves a main meeting and six parallel sub meetings on themes of family doctors, big data for family health, family medicine, women and children's health, food and health, and basic-level healthcare and health management.

In speaking of the problems of medical treatment in China, Han Demin, chairman of the China International Exchange and Promotion Association for Medical and Health Care, said "High-income families are not satisfied with the service of treatment, and low-income families are dissatisfied with health care prices."

According to Han, an improved version of the family doctor is a possible solution.

The forum, held at the Beijing International Convention Center, gathered around 1,000 health experts, health officials, and staff with health and family planning commissions at various levels.

A family health and patients' medical care behavior report based on big data analysis was also released at the forum.

The forum was organized by the China Family News and China Health Information Association.