China sets healthcare reform tasks for 2021

Emphasis will be placed on disease prevention in the country.

China has expressed plans to balance medical resources and build up the public health system in 2021, Xinhua reported, according to the cabinet's new annual plan for further reforming the medicine and healthcare system.

Efforts must be made to accelerate the synergy of reforms relating to medical services, medical insurance and pharmaceuticals, said the document, which was published on the General Office of the State Council's website on Thursday.

The country will also carry forward the bulk-buying mechanism, aiming to reduce medicine prices in 2021. Its tiered system of medical diagnosis and treatment will be refined and the development of healthcare consortia will be accelerated.

There are plans to emphasise disease prevention in the building up of China's public health system. The document called for efforts to boost the capabilities for early warning, risk evaluation and on-the-spot epidemiological investigation.