The 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held its 11th briefing session on key issues of major concern in Beijing on Jan 24, with the theme of adhering to the prevention-first principle and strengthening health management for major chronic diseases. Hu Chunhua and Wang Dongfeng, vice-chairpersons of the CPPCC National Committee, attended the meeting.

Wang Hesheng, vice-minister of the National Health Commission (NHC), said at the meeting that since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, "prevention first" has always been highlighted in the country’s healthcare work policies. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, the CPC Central Committee has comprehensively deepened and expanded the policy, shifting the focus of the country's healthcare work from disease treatment to a general concern for the people's health, according to Wang.

The NHC has given priority to prevention, enhanced the integration of medical treatment and preventive measures, and promoted the building of a health management and service system for chronic diseases that covers the entire population throughout their life cycle and the whole process, systematically improving the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, he said.

Wang noted that the NHC will focus on building a comprehensive prevention and treatment model, enhancing the overall prevention and treatment capacity at the grassroots level, upgrading healthcare technologies, and advancing the health literacy of the public, to ensure sound chronic disease health management and continuously boost the health and well-being of the people.

Yan Shujiang, deputy director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, told the meeting participants that the administration has actively implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee on promoting the inheritance and innovative development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), comprehensively enhanced the ability and level of TCM in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, and fully leveraged the advantages and functions of TCM in major chronic disease health management. Yan said that the administration will further leverage the advantages of TCM specialties, build national TCM centers, and launch research projects on major chronic diseases.

CPPCC members and officials from relevant government departments exchanged views on issues such as improving technical operation feasibility for major chronic disease prevention, strengthening public health education for chronic disease prevention and control, and expanding the scope of cancer screening.