BEIJING - China is accelerating efforts to advance its Healthy China Initiative, aiming to raise the average life expectancy and improve people's health further during the next five years.

By 2030, the average life expectancy of the Chinese people is expected to reach 80 years, one year longer than that in 2024, and major health indicators will reach the level of high-income countries, according to top health official Lei Haichao.

To this end, a health-first strategy will be implemented, said Lei, director of the National Health Commission. The strategy was put forward in the Party leadership's recommendations for formulating China's 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (2026-2030).

The recommendations proposed a series of measures to improve people's health, including increasing public health capacity, strengthening the disease control system, and effectively preventing and controlling major infectious diseases.

Efforts will be made to encourage local Party committees to prioritize health promotion as a key goal for high-quality economic and social development, regarding average life expectancy, infant mortality rates, maternal mortality rates, control of infectious diseases and chronic diseases, and the development of childcare services as important criteria of their performance, Lei said.

Legislation on health impact assessments will be advanced, and health education will be integrated into the national education system. Chinese residents' health literacy rate will rise from 31.87 percent in 2024 to over 40 percent by 2030.

As infectious diseases remain a major challenge to human health, Lei said health authorities will strengthen monitoring and early warning for infectious diseases, laboratory testing, epidemiological investigations, emergency response, and medical treatment capacity building.

The equipment and facilities of primary-level medical and healthcare institutions will be upgraded, while essential medical services will be improved, including services for pediatrics, mental health, emergency medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, rehabilitation, and nursing.

Moreover, the recommendations called for a sound system to be established to provide full life-cycle population services to all, to promote high-quality population development.

China will work to improve policies and measures, including maternity insurance, maternity leave, and free preschool education. Notably, an affordable childcare system will be established to help reduce the costs of childbirth, parenting and education for families, Lei said.

With the elderly population expected to continue rising during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), safeguarding seniors' health will be essential to achieving the target of an average life expectancy of 80 years.

Lei said that long-term care insurance will be advanced, and on-demand medical services at home and home-based hospital bed services will be expanded for people with disabilities and the elderly, so as to foster healthy aging.

Efforts will also be made to advance the Healthy China Initiative from the aspects of public hospital reform, prevention and control of chronic diseases and traditional Chinese medicine development, according to the recommendations.

"Putting health first is both a development goal and a support for the process of China's modernization drive," Lei said.