BEIJING — China's public health has improved markedly since a new round of medicine and healthcare system reforms that started in March 2009, according to an annual report released by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

The average life expectancy rose from 74.8 years in 2009 to 77.3 years in 2019, read the Development Report on Health Reform in China (2020).

During the same period, China saw its maternal mortality rate drop from 31.9 per 100,000 to 17.8 per 100,000, while its infant mortality rate fell from 13.8 per 1,000 to 5.6 per 1,000, showed the report.

There has been a gradual improvement in terms of the accessibility and equality of health services in China, with health care costs for residents effectively lowered.

The proportion of the country's overall health expenditure borne by individuals has dropped from 37.5 percent in 2009 to 28.4 percent in 2019, according to the report.