Achievements of the China National Program for Women's Development (2011-2020) in Women and Health

1. Women and Health

1.1) The average life expectancy among women exceeded 80 years. Since China became one of the countries with high life expectancy in 2000, the average life expectancy in the country has continued to increase. The average life expectancy of women has increased from 77.37 years in 2010 to 79.43 years in 2015, and further increased to 80.88 years in 2020. According to the estimation of the United Nations’ World Population Prospects, the average life expectancy of women in China ranked 62nd among 184 countries in 2020, which is 4 years higher than the global average life expectancy of women.

1.2) The maternal mortality ratio decreased by more than 40 percent. Since the implementation of the China National Program for Women's Development (2011-2020) (the NPA for Women), on the basis of safeguarding maternal and child health, China has actively promoted comprehensive health services for women and children. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has continued to decline, and the health of women and children has significantly improved. In 2020, China's MMR was 16.9 per 100,000 live births, which was 43.7 percent lower than that in 2010, and ranked high among middle and high income countries in the world. The MMRs were 14.1 per 100,000 live births in urban areas and 18.5 per 100,000 live births in rural areas, which were 52.5 percent and 38.5 percent lower than that in 2010, respectively.

1.3) The capacity for delivering maternal and child health services has significantly improved. Since the implementation of the NPA for Women, China's maternal and child health service content has continuously expanded, and the capacity for delivering these services has steadily improved. In 2020, there were 3,052 maternal and child health institutions; there were 807 maternity hospitals, which was twice the number in 2010; and there were 285 thousand obstetricians and gynecologists, an increase of 55.7 percent since 2010. The hospital delivery rate has remained above 99 percent since 2012. It was 99.9 percent in 2020, an increase of 2.1 percentage points from 2010. The systematic management rate for maternal care was 92.7 percent, an increase of 8.7 percentage points since 2010, significantly higher than the 85 percent target outlined in the NPA for Women. In 2020, the antenatal care coverage and postnatal care coverage were 97.4 percent and 95.5 percent, respectively, an increase of 3.3 and 4.7 percentage points from 2010.

1.4) Women's reproductive health services have significantly improved. Since the implementation of the NPA for Women, the free pre-pregnancy health check has been fully implemented, and awareness on pre-pregnancy risk factor prevention has steadily improved. Reproductive health knowledge has been substantially promoted, and women's self-care awareness and capacity have greatly improved. In 2020, free pre-pregnancy health check were provided to 8.67 million persons planning for pregnancy, achieving an average coverage rate of 96.4 percent for the target population. All at-risk individuals identified through the health check also received targeted services including consultation, guidance, treatment and referral. In 2020, the screening rate of common diseases among women reached 86.6 percent, an increase of 25.4 percentage points from 2010, and achieving the over 80 percent target outlined in the NPA for Women.

(Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China)