Focusing on care services for infants and young children, the China Population and Development Forum was held on Dec 20 in Beijing. 

He Wei, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) delivered a speech at the forum. 

He said that China’s population development situation will experience a transition during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), which will have profound impact on domestic economic and social development. 

He called for special attention to formulating and improving a long-term population development strategy, optimizing fertility policies and making them more inclusive, improving prenatal and postnatal care services, and promoting balanced population development. 

He stressed the need to incorporate supportive fertility policies into all economic and social policies, to standardize the care service system for infants and young children, and to build a guarantee system covering the whole childbirth process. 

Li Wei, chairman of the Committee on Population, Resources and Environment of the CPPCC National Committee, said that according to a survey the comprehensive development level of children in poor areas is lower than the national average, and their gap with urban children is widening. 

In addition, 86.4 percent of infants and young children never receive any early nurturing and care services, said Li, who called for including infant care services in underdeveloped areas into the basic public service system and exploring an infant care model that is diversified and of full coverage. 

Wang Pei'an, vice-chairman of the Committee on Population, Resources and Environment and executive vice-president of the China Family Planning Association, called for building a childbirth-friendly social environment, reducing the cost of childbirth and parenting education, and strengthening reproductive health services and comprehensive prevention and treatment of birth defects during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. 

Data show that China now has over 47 million infants and children under 3 years of age. Development of infant care services is a critical step in meeting an increasingly urgent need.