What India Can Learn From China's Health System?

As a nation whose culture and society have long been formed by its farming traditions, China has just passed a landmark, with its urban population of more than 680 million people outnumbering its rural residents for the first time in January, 2012. This serves as a double-edged sword for public health in China as it not only offers great opportunities in the improvements of health-care access and basic health infrastructure, but also poses substantial risks, including changing diets and lifestyle, air and water pollution, and occupational and traffic hazards.

Growing urbanization is one of the socioeconomic risks for non-communicable disease (NCDs), which has already become China's number one health threat. Chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are often closely associated, sharing common risk factors and treatments, and hence they would benefit from a coordinated approach to prevention and control.

Whereas, as per leading public health experts concerted and coordinated efforts are necessary to address the growing social and economic burden of chronic, non-communicable disease in India. NCDs are the main cause of morbidity and mortality and are responsible for more than 63 percent of deaths in the world and make up more than two thirds of the total disease burden in India.

Also, knowledge exchange is not a one-way street. While China is learning from other countries in health-care delivery and research, it has much to share for reciprocal benefit. It is important that health-care reform is not exclusive to one country. The improvement of universal coverage, reduction in costs, and to deal with the mounting challenge of NCDs are truly global problems. China's health-reform process and solutions will provide evidence to inform debate and, ultimately, enhance global health-care outcomes.