BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) — The Chinese government has issued a new five-year disability prevention action plan, laying out measures to effectively control the occurrence and development of disabilities.

According to the National Disability Prevention Action Plan issued by the General Office of the State Council, the country will be a leader among middle and high-income countries by the end of 2025 in terms of the main disability prevention indicators, with improved policy systems and service networks, and a higher level of public awareness.

The plan specifies measures in five major areas, including rehabilitation services, public awareness promotion, and the prevention and control of birth defects and disabilities caused by development disorders, illnesses and injuries.

The plan sets out tasks to be implemented during the period, such as increasing early screening and intervention among children, strengthening the prevention and control of disabilities resulting from chronic diseases, and tightening traffic and transportation safety management.

Data from the China Disabled Persons' Federation shows that the number of people with disabilities in China increases by over 2 million annually.

Awareness promotion activities will be carried out targeting key groups of people, including children, newly-married couples, pregnant women and new mothers, parents of infants, elderly people and people in high-risk professions, with such activities covering over 80 percent of the people in those groups, says the action plan.

It aims to raise the rates of premarital medical examination and prenatal screening to above 70 percent and 75 percent, respectively, and to strengthen early screening and medical intervention for newborns.

Statistics suggest that disabilities developed from chronic diseases account for 56 percent of the total among Chinese adults, and the action plan requires standard treatment for certain illnesses at the primary level and stresses the role of fitness training in health intervention.

The action plan emphasizes securing fundamental rehabilitation services for people with disabilities, while the coverage of such services should be elevated to over 80 percent.

(Source: Xinhua)