The NHFPC launched a thalassemia prevention and control pilot project in 2012 to explore the establishment of a thalassemia group prevention model. It offered free thalassemia screening, gene detection and prenatal diagnosis for childbearing couples in seven provinces with a high rate of thalassemia attacks, such as Guangxi. As of 2013, a total of 153,000 couples had received free examinations, paving the way for building a sound and effective work mechanism. In 2014, the project expanded to cover 71 counties (cities and districts) in 10 provinces (regions and cities) to benefit more couples.

The meeting is jointly sponsored by the NHFPC and the Thalassemia International Federation. It is undertaken by the China Association for Maternal and Child Health Studies, Guangxi's Health and Family Planning Commission, and Guangxi Medical University. More than 150 people attended the meeting, including representatives from the Asian thalassemia cooperative group, the Mahidol University's thalassemia research center, the Indonesian society for blood, China Medical University (Taiwan) children's hospital, the Taiwan thalassemia association , NHFPC departments, and health and family planning departments in some provinces (regions and cities). Heads of the NHFPC's key labs and experts from the China Association for Maternal and Child Health Studies and Guangxi Medical University were also in attendance.