Development of China's Public Health as an Essential Element of Human Rights

Conclusion

The CPC and the Chinese government earnestly respect and protect people's right to health, and consider safeguarding people's health as a basic task of governance. Significant actions have been taken, aiming to benefit people both in the present and the future. China has achieved great success in health affairs, making an important contribution to the sustainable development of mankind.

"Between heaven and earth, man experiences both dangers and stability during the course of his lifetime." We are keenly aware that safeguarding people's health is a systematic project. It takes a long period of sustained efforts. At present, with the situation of the country's industrialization, urbanization and aging population, as well as the changing disease spectrum, ecological environment and lifestyle, the Chinese people are still facing a complex situation in which multiple disease threats coexist and a variety of health factors are intertwined; meanwhile, with the improvement of living standards and enhancement of the concept of health of the people, public demand for health products and health services continues to grow, showing multilevel, diversified and individualized characteristics. Consequently, China is faced with health problems common to both developed and developing countries.

In order to better safeguard people's right to health, we are speeding up the building of a heathy China. A series of plans and outlines have been made and implemented, including the "Healthy China 2030" Planning Outline, the National Fitness Program (2016-2020), the 13th Five-Year Plan for Medical and Health Service Development, and the Plan for Deepening Reform of the Medical and Healthcare System During the 13th Five-Year Plan Period (2016-2020). The Chinese government has put forward a "three-step" goal: a sound basic medical and healthcare system with Chinese characteristics will be established covering both urban and rural residents, with the main health indicators ranking in the forefront of the high-and middle-income countries by 2020; the health-promotion system will be improved, with the main health indicators in the ranks of the high-income countries by 2030; and a healthy China conforming to the requirements of a modern socialist country will be built by 2050. Governments at all levels will continue their work toward comprehensively safeguarding people's health for the full life cycle, and promoting the overall development of medical and health services, with a high sense of responsibility and urgency.

Health is an eternal pursuit of mankind, and health promotion is the common responsibility of the world community. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has set healthy lives as a major sustainable development goal, and the development of the global health system is at a crucial stage. China will, as always, energetically participate in health-related international activities, take an active part in global health governance, and implement sustainable development goals in the public health sector. In its efforts to build the Belt and Road, China will enhance medical and health cooperation with countries along the route, and emphasize learning from and drawing on the experiences of other countries. In the great process of "jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind," China is keen to join hands with people around the world in making unremitting efforts to build a better and healthier world.