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China is already an aging society. Heath demands will inevitably increase with the degree of aging. What will be the plans and measures in response? Thank you.

Wang Haidong:

Thank you for your attention to the aging issue. Every family has an old member and everyone will turn old. An active response to the issue concerns national development and the wellbeing of hundreds of millions of citizens. The aging issue in China has several distinct characteristics: the aging population is big, the process of aging is rapid, and the differences among urban and rural areas and among regions are great, so we face a heavy task in response. The 14th Five-Year Plan period, in particular, will be critical, as China will transit from a mildly aging society to a moderately aging one in this period. The NHC, also the National?Working Commission on?Aging, will continue to earnestly implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on the aging issue and put in place General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on the issue. We will carry out the national response strategy and promote positive views on aging and healthy aging in socio-economic development. A social security system, an old-age care system, and a health support system will be built for senior citizens. Preferential policies will be put in place for them, their legitimate rights and interests will be safeguarded, China's fine tradition of filial piety will be promoted, and the positive role of old people will be brought into play. These efforts will help to ensure that old citizens enjoy the fruit of reform and development and live a healthy and happy life. 

Healthy aging is the most cost-saving and efficient method to deal with the issue of population aging. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), we will focus on the following areas in accordance with the requirements of the 14th Five-Year Plan for healthy aging.

First, we will provide better preventive care for the elderly. We will continue to carry out the Healthy China initiative, especially the health promotion plan for the elderly, and constantly improve their health literacy. We will also carry out four major campaigns on oral health, nutrition improvement, dementia prevention and treatment, and psychological care for the elderly, aiming to make them feel motivated to stay healthy so that they will be less likely to fall ill, get sick later than expected, and be free from serious illnesses.

Second, we will guarantee medical services for the elderly. We will continue to promote the establishment of geriatric medicine departments in general hospitals at or above the secondary level, with the proportion reaching over 60% by 2025. At the same time, we will accelerate the construction of rehabilitation hospitals, nursing hospitals, and elderly-friendly medical institutions, implement various measures to provide convenient medical care services for the elderly, and bring tangible benefits to them.

Third, we will deliver long-term care services for the elderly with disabilities. There are 40 million disabled and partially disabled seniors who are in urgent need of care in our country. Therefore, we should conduct health assessments for the elderly with disabilities and provide them with a whole chain of long-term care services from professional institutions and home-based communities. Notably, we will deliver medical services to communities and homes to effectively ease the burden on the families with disabled seniors and the burden on society as a whole.

Fourth, we will deepen the integration of medical and old-age services, which has gained great popularity among the elderly. For the next step, we will continue to promote the integration of elderly care service resources and medical resources, further expand the supply of integrated medical and old-age services, improve their quality, enlarge the team to provide such services, and establish an integrated health care system for the elderly featuring cooperation among homes, communities, and institutions and the integration of medical and health care. 

Fifth, we will expand efforts to ensure health care for the elderly. We will strengthen the development of geriatric health disciplines, cultivate a relevant talent team, improve standards and specifications in this field, and advance the scientific and technological development and industrial development of geriatric health.

To sum up, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), we will be committed to establishing and improving a comprehensive and coherent elderly health services system covering both urban and rural areas and including health education, preventive health care, disease diagnosis and treatment, rehabilitation nursing, long-term care, and hospice care, so as to effectively enhance the sense of health gain among the elderly. Thank you.

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