4.2 Health-Related Challenges in China

7 min read•june 18, 2024

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Introduction to Health-Related Challenges in China

In this guide, we will be discussing the healthcare system in China, mental health in China, and China's "zero-covid" policy.

China has a large and complex healthcare system that serves a population of over 1.4 billion people. Despite significant progress in improving healthcare access and outcomes in recent decades, China still faces significant challenges in providing quality care for its citizens. This guide will delve into some of these challenges and explore how China is working to address them.

We will also be looking at mental health care in China, including its prevalence and the stigma that surrounds it. Finally, we will cover China's approach to controlling the spread of COVID-19, including its "zero-covid" policy and the measures it has taken to try to eliminate the virus within its borders.

Healthcare System in China

Note: This section does not cover COVID-19, including its impacts on China’s healthcare system.

The healthcare system in China is a combination of public (公共的, Gōnggòng de) and private (私人的, Sīrén de) healthcare providers. The public healthcare system is funded by the government (政府, Zhèngfǔ) and provides basic healthcare services at a low cost to citizens (公民, Gōngmín). The private healthcare sector has grown significantly in recent years and includes a range of hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers that offer more specialized and higher-quality services at a higher cost. Many people in China choose to seek care from both public and private healthcare providers, depending on their needs and financial situation. Some of the main problems in regards to access to healthcare in China are:

Cost: Despite the existence of the public healthcare system, many people in China struggle to afford healthcare services, particularly for more specialized or advanced treatments. Private healthcare providers tend to be more expensive, and even the public system can be cost-prohibitive (价格高昂, Jiàgé gāo'áng) for some people, particularly those living in rural areas (农村, Nóngcūn) or with low incomes (低收入, Dī shōurù).
Quality: There are concerns about the quality of healthcare services in China, particularly in the public sector. Some hospitals and clinics are overcrowded (拥挤, Yōngjǐ) and understaffed (人手不足, Rénshǒu bùzú), leading to long wait times (等待时间, Děngdài shíjiān) and less personalized care (个性化的护理, Gèxìnghuà de hùlǐ). There are also concerns about the quality of some medications and other healthcare products, with cases of fake or substandard (劣质, Lièzhì) products being reported.
Access: Access to healthcare can be a problem in some areas of China, particularly in rural or remote (偏远的, Piānyuǎn de) locations. Many people in these areas face significant challenges in accessing healthcare services, including a lack of available hospitals or clinics, long distances to travel, and a shortage of trained healthcare professionals. This can lead to delays in getting care and can worsen health outcomes (健康结果, Jiànkāng jiéguǒ) for people in these areas.
Insurance: Despite the availability of health insurance, many people in China still do not have coverage (保险范围, Bǎoxiǎn fànwéi). This can be due to a lack of awareness about the importance of insurance, or because people cannot afford it. Without insurance, people may be less likely to seek medical care when needed, which can lead to more serious health problems in the long run.
Stigma: There is still a significant stigma (耻辱, Chǐrǔ) attached to certain health conditions in China, particularly mental health (心理健康, Xīnlǐ jiànkāng) issues. This can discourage people from seeking help and can lead to a lack of understanding and support for those who are struggling with health problems.

Despite these problems, technology has played a role in improving healthcare in China, with the use of electronic medical records, telemedicine, and wearable health monitoring devices. These tools have made it easier for patients to access medical care and for healthcare providers to deliver better care.

Related Vocabulary

公共的 (Gōnggòng de) - public
私人的 (Sīrén de) - private
政府 (Zhèngfǔ) - government
公民 (Gōngmín) - citizen

Mental Health in China

China has a high burden of mental health disorders (精神健康问题 jīngshén jiànkāng wèntí), with high rates of depression (抑郁症 yìyùzhèng), anxiety (焦虑 jiāolǜ), and suicide (自杀 zìshā). These issues are often linked to social and economic factors (社会和经济因素 shèhuì hé jīngjì yīnsù) such as poverty (贫困 pínkùn), lack of access to mental health services (缺乏心理健康服务 quēfá xīnlǐ jiànkāng fúwù), and social stigma (社会耻辱 shèhuì chǐrǔ).

One major barrier to addressing mental health issues (心理健康问题 xīnlǐ jiànkāng wèntí) in China is the widespread stigma (耻辱 chǐrǔ) surrounding mental illness (精神疾病 jīngshén jíbìng). Many people in China view mental health problems (心理问题 xīnlǐ wèntí) as a personal weakness (个人弱点 gèrén ruòdiǎn) or a sign of moral failure (道德失败 dàodé shībài), which can discourage people from seeking help (寻求帮助 xúnqiú bāngzhù). This stigma can be particularly acute (尤其严重 yóuqí yánzhòng) in rural areas (农村 nóngcūn), where mental health services (心理健康服务 xīnlǐ jiànkāng fúwù) may be scarce (稀少 xīshǎo) or non-existent (不存在 bù cúnzài). As a result, many people with mental health problems (心理问题 xīnlǐ wèntí) in China do not receive the treatment they need (不能得到必要的治疗 bùnéng dédào bìyào de zhìliáo), leading to a significant burden of suffering (痛苦 tòngkǔ) and disability (残疾 cánjí).

In recent years, the Chinese government (中国政府 Zhōngguó zhèngfǔ) has made efforts (努力 nǔlì) to address the stigma (耻辱 chǐrǔ) surrounding mental health (心理健康 xīnlǐ jiànkāng) and improve access (改善获得 jiǎoshàn huòdé) to mental health services (心理健康服务 xīnlǐ jiànkāng fúwù). However, there is still a long way to go (仍有很长的路要走 réng yǒu hěn cháng de lù yào zǒu) in improving mental health care (提高心理健康保健 tígāo xīnlǐ jiànkāng bǎojiàn) and reducing the stigma (减少耻辱 jiǎnshǎo chǐrǔ) associated with mental illness (精神疾病 jīngshén jíbìng) in China.

Related Vocabulary

精神健康问题 (jīngshén jiànkāng wèntí) - mental health problems
抑郁症 (yìyùzhèng) - depression
焦虑 (jiāolǜ) - anxiety
自杀 (zìshā) - suicide
社会和经济因素 (shèhuì hé jīngjì yīnsù) - social and economic factors
贫困 (pínkùn) - poverty
缺乏心理健康服务 (quēfá xīnlǐ jiànkāng fúwù) - lack of access to mental health services
社会耻辱 (shèhuì chǐrǔ) - social stigma
个人弱点 (gèrén ruòdiǎn) - personal weakness
道德失败 (dàodé shībài) - moral failure
寻求帮助 (xúnqiú bāngzhù) - seeking help
尤其严重 (yóuqí yánzhòng) - particularly acute
农村 (nóngcūn) - rural areas
心理健康服务 (xīnlǐ jiànkāng fúwù) - mental health services
稀少 (xīshǎo) - scarce
不存在 (bù cúnzài) - non-existent
心理问题 (xīnlǐ wèntí) - mental health problems
不能得到必要的治疗 (bùnéng dédào bìyào de zhìliáo) - do not receive the treatment they need
痛苦 (tòngkǔ) - suffering
残疾 (cánjí) - disability
中国政府 (Zhōngguó zhèngfǔ) - Chinese government
努力 (nǔlì) - efforts
耻辱 (chǐrǔ) - stigma
改善获得 (jiǎoshàn huòdé) - improve access
提高心理健康保健 (tígāo xīnlǐ jiànkāng bǎojiàn) - improve mental health care
减少耻辱 (jiǎnshǎo chǐrǔ) - reduce stigma
精神疾病 (jīngshén jíbìng) - mental illness
仍有很长的路要走 (réng yǒu hěn cháng de lù yào zǒu) - still a long way to go

China’s “Zero-Covid” Policy

The COVID-19 pandemic had significant impacts on China, both in terms of the human and economic toll. The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and quickly spread throughout the country and the world.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on China, causing both illness (疾病 jíbìng) and death (死亡 sǐwáng) as well as economic problems (经济问题 jīngjì wèntí). The Chinese government worked hard to control the spread of the virus (传播病毒 chuánbō bìngdú) by taking strong measures like lockdowns (封锁 fēngsuǒ) of entire cities and widespread testing (大范围测试 dà fànwéi cèshì). While these efforts were successful in reducing the number of new cases (新增病例 xīn zēng bìnglì), they also made it harder for people to go about their daily lives (日常生活 rìcháng shēnghuó) and for businesses to operate normally (正常运营 zhèngcháng yùnyíng).

To try to eliminate the virus completely, China adopted a "zero-covid" policy (清零政策 qīng líng zhèngcè). This included steps like testing a lot of people (测试很多人 cèshì hěnduō rén), isolating anyone who might have been in contact with someone who had COVID-19 (隔离可能接触过 COVID-19 的人 gélí kěnéng jiēchù guò COVID-19 de rén), and imposing strict travel restrictions (实施严格的旅行限制 shíshī yángé de lǚxíng xiànzhì). While the zero-covid policy helped to keep the number of new cases low (使新增病例数量低 shǐ xīn zēng bìnglì shùliàng dī), it also had some downsides (缺点 quēdiǎn). It disrupted daily life (打乱日常生活 dǎluàn rìcháng shēnghuó) and the economy (经济 jīngjì), and it raised concerns about privacy (隐私 yǐnsī) and civil liberties (公民自由 gōngmín zìyóu) because the government was monitoring people closely (密切监控 mìqiè jiānkòng) to track the spread of the virus (跟踪传播病毒 gēnzōng chuánbō bìngdú).

In December 2022, China relaxed its zero-covid policy nearly three years after they were first enacted after a series of blank-paper protests and online messages sarcastically expressing support for the policy (to bypass censorship filters) from people who were fed up with lockdowns. What followed immediately after was a resurgence of COVID-19 infections due to the hasty reopening.

Related Vocabulary

疾病 (jíbìng) - illness
死亡 (sǐwáng) - death
经济问题 (jīngjì wèntí) - economic problems
传播病毒 (chuánbō bìngdú) - spread of the virus
封锁 (fēngsuǒ) - lockdowns
大范围测试 (dà fànwéi cèshì) - widespread testing
新增病例 (xīn zēng bìnglì) - new cases
日常生活 (rìcháng shēnghuó) - daily life
正常运营 (zhèngcháng yùnyíng) - normal operation
零病毒政策 (líng bìngdú zhèngcè) - zero-covid policy
测试很多人 (cèshì hěnduō rén) - testing a lot of people
隔离可能接触过 COVID-19 的人 (gélí kěnéng jiēchù guò COVID-19 de rén) - isolating anyone who might have been in contact with someone who had COVID-19
实施严格的旅行限制 (shíshī yángé de lǚxíng xiànzhì) - imposing strict travel restrictions
使新增病例数量低 (shǐ xīn zēng bìnglì shùliàng dī) - keeping the number of new cases low
缺点 (quēdiǎn) - downsides
打乱日常生活 (dǎluàn rìcháng shēnghuó) - disrupting daily life
经济 (jīngjì) - economy
隐私 (yǐnsī) - privacy
公民自由 (gōngmín zìyóu) - civil liberties
密切监控 (mìqiè jiānkòng) - closely monitoring
跟踪传播病毒 (gēnzōng chuánbō bìngdú) - tracking the spread of the virus