The State Family Planning Commission is planning to carry out three major programs during the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05) period to improve the reproductive health of adults and prevent birth defects.
The three programmes - reproductive infection control, birth defect control and contraception improvement - aim to systematically set up a network that combines population management and reproductive health services around the country.
The reproductive infection prevention program is to curb the occurrence of reproductive infectious diseases, which have a high rate of incidence and seriously affect the health of couples of childbearing age.
A system which includes the prevention and treatment of reproductive infectious diseases will be set up connected with the country's family planning service, which has close ties with most people.
hrough the system, knowledge about the prevention of such diseases will be disseminated and people will be able to get health examinations if they fear they may have become infected.
The birth defect control program is to minimize the number of babies born with birth defects.
The program will make use of the world most advanced techniques and research on the prevention and treatment of birth defects and work in tandem with the country's health care system for women and children to set up a network for the prevention and treatment of birth defects.
The development of new techniques for the prevention and treatment of birth defects will also be encouraged.
The third program is aimed at developing better contraception services in order to maintain the low birth rate that has been achieved in China.
The program will target promotion of safe, effective and easy measures of contraception among people in the underdeveloped western regions of the country.
A three-day international conference on the three programs started Wednesday in Beijing, during which the State Family Planning Commission will give an overall introduction of the programs to representatives from both domestic and foreign organizations, such as the World Health Organization.
The three programs, which were initiated last June by Zhang Weiqing, minister of the State Family Planning Commission, have gained support nationwide.
(China Daily 06/07/2001)
