China is making significant strides in healthcare accessibility and quality through its Healthy China Initiative, targeting improvements across both urban and rural areas for its 1.4 billion citizens. President Xi Jinping has underscored the critical need to bolster community-level healthcare facilities to ensure essential medical services reach all citizens. During a visit to a township clinic in Jiangsu province back in 2014, Xi emphasized the need for enhancements in local medical infrastructure and reducing treatment-related costs and complexities.
The initiative includes comprehensive reforms in hospital management, health insurance, drug supplies, and healthcare supervision, with an aim to treat serious diseases within provincial boundaries, manage common diseases at city or county levels, and address routine health issues at local facilities. China’s efforts to decentralize healthcare services have led to the development of 125 national regional medical centers, particularly in central and western regions where advanced medical resources are scarce. This has allowed over 90 percent of residents to access medical services within a 15-minute radius, with primary-level institutions handling more than half of the nation’s medical visits.
Preventive healthcare, especially for children and the elderly, is a key focus. Measures to combat childhood myopia have resulted in a declining rate for five consecutive years, reaching 49.9 percent in 2025. The country’s average life expectancy has risen to 79.25 years, alongside notable progress in controlling infectious and endemic diseases, and a reduction in premature mortality from chronic illnesses to 13.8 percent.
China is also prioritizing medical technology and pharmaceutical innovation, promoting digital healthcare, artificial intelligence, and the creation of domestic medicines and diagnostic technologies. In the first half of 2026 alone, 38 innovative drugs received approval. Traditional Chinese medicine continues to play a significant role, with efforts directed at its modernization and international collaboration through overseas medical teams and public health initiatives.
The overarching goal is to establish a healthcare system that aligns with China’s broader modernization ambitions by 2035. As the nation grapples with an aging population and evolving healthcare demands, the government is tasked with continuously improving service quality, affordability, and accessibility across the country.