Chinese to curb premature deaths in the next decade

The rate of premature death caused by major chronic diseases in China is expected to decrease by 20 percent from the current level by 2025, according to an official with China's top health authority.

The goal is listed in a draft of a long-term national plan on the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases (2016-2025) by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, Wu Liangyou, chief for chronic diseases at the commission's Department for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Tuesday. It is not known when the plan would be released, he said.

According to the draft plan, the death rate of those between 30 and 70 with cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes - the four major serious chronic diseases - in China is expected to be reduced by 10 percent by 2020, and by 20 percent by 2025.

To reduce the death rates caused by serious chronic diseases, health authorities will take a number of measures in the next few years, such as requiring all patients to have a blood pressure test during their first diagnosis and improving health and medical care standards at the grassroots level.

Wu made the comments at a seminar on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases on Tuesday, hosted by the World Hypertension League's Beijing Office and the Beijing Lisheng Cardiovascular Health Foundation.

About one in five patients suffering cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory diseases in China die before the age of 70 years old, a rate that is higher than many other countries, such as Australia and Thailand, Zhang Xinhua, from the World Hypertension League, said.