China received an award for outstanding social health management and to commemorate its Patriotic Health Campaign on July 5 from the World Health Organization.

“The award I present to Minister Li Bin today recognizes the important contribution the Patriotic Health Campaign has made not only to China’s health, but to the world’s health,” said Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific.

Dr Shin Young-soo presents the award for outstanding social health management to Minister Li Bin on July 5. 

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the mass Patriotic Health Campaign. Launched in the early 1950s in China, it was aimed at raising levels of sanitation and hygiene and controlling waterborne diseases.

The campaign helped to improve overall public health in China, said Li Bin, minister of China's National Health and Family Planning Commission, adding that it created a “China miracle”.

“As we enter the era of sustainable development goals, there is much the world can learn from China's National Patriotic Health Campaign,” added Dr Shin Young-soo.

Over its 65-year history, the Patriotic Health Campaign has helped to achieve enormous improvements in health for the people of China.

On the global stage, the Patriotic Health Campaign provided one of the earliest models of multi-sectoral action for health by bringing together various government ministries and departments to work for the health of the people, said Shin Young-soo. 

According to Li Bin, the campaign is people-centered and has been keeping up with the pace of the times. What’s more, it focuses on disease prevention in an innovative way. 

China will stick to "Health in All Policies", and will make the Patriotic Health Campaign an effective carrier of the Healthy China policies, added Li.