Ten Ministries Jointly Issue the 'Healthy China Initiative – Cancer Prevention and Control Implementation Plan (2019–2022)'

Source: Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control, National Health Commission

Recently, with the approval of the State Council, ten departments—including the National Health Commission, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the National Healthcare Security Administration, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the National Medical Products Administration, and the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development—jointly issued the “Healthy China Action: Implementation Plan for Cancer Prevention and Control (2019–2022)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Implementation Plan”). The relevant contents are interpreted as follows.

Cancer prevention and control remain a global challenge. Currently, China sees approximately 3.8 million new cancer cases and 2.29 million cancer-related deaths annually. In recent years, driven by population aging, accelerated industrialization and urbanization, and the cumulative impact of factors such as chronic infections and unhealthy lifestyles, both the overall incidence and mortality rates of cancer in China have shown a year-on-year upward trend. Cancer has become a major public health issue severely threatening the health of Chinese residents, serving as a significant cause of labor force loss and poverty or return to poverty among families due to illness, thereby affecting the nation’s sustainable economic and social development.

In 2015, the former National Health and Family Planning Commission and other departments jointly issued the Three-Year Action Plan for Cancer Prevention and Control in China (2015–2017). In accordance with the requirements of the Action Plan, all regions and relevant departments actively implemented comprehensive prevention and control measures, making steady progress in key areas such as system development, tumor registration, early diagnosis and treatment, standardized clinical care, technological innovation, and science popularization and health education, with initial results in prevention and control becoming evident. However, the current cancer prevention and control system and service capacity still fail to meet the growing health needs of the population. Imbalances and inadequacies in cancer prevention and control efforts remain prominent, and the situation continues to be severe.

In 2016, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the Outline of the “Healthy China 2030” Plan, which established the goals and tasks for cancer prevention and control. Subsequently, the General Office of the State Council issued the Medium- and Long-Term Plan for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases in China (2017–2025), designating the improvement of the overall five-year cancer survival rate as a primary objective of prevention and control efforts. In June 2019, the State Council issued the Opinions on Implementing the Healthy China Action, explicitly proposing the implementation of cancer prevention and control initiatives. To implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and to further advance cancer prevention and control work, the National Health Commission, in conjunction with relevant departments, formulated the Healthy China Action—Implementation Plan for Cancer Prevention and Control (2019–2022).

The Implementation Plan adheres to goal-oriented and problem-solving approaches, focusing on the major issues and shortcomings that urgently need to be addressed in current cancer prevention and control efforts. By integrating new trends, tasks, and requirements in prevention and control, it emphasizes foresight, pertinence, and operability, and features the following three characteristics:

First, emphasize the comprehensive and holistic advancement of cancer prevention and control.The “Implementation Plan” covers the entire continuum of cancer care—including prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation—as well as the development of supporting and safeguarding mechanisms such as improving service systems, strengthening information systems, implementing treatment and financial assistance programs, and accelerating scientific and technological breakthroughs. It proposes specific action measures to address the prominent contradictions and issues existing in each link and sector.

Second, it has strengthened the principle of prioritizing prevention and integrating prevention with treatment.The Implementation Plan focuses on controlling cancer risk factors by advocating for healthy lifestyles, promoting vaccination, strengthening environmental protection, and improving working conditions, thereby reducing the risk of cancer incidence among the Chinese population. Meanwhile, it places greater emphasis on the importance of early diagnosis, early treatment, and standardized clinical care, actively facilitating the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

Third, the objectives are clear and actionable.The “Implementation Plan” sets forth quantified objectives for cancer prevention and control education, tumor registration, and early diagnosis and treatment, thereby rendering tasks specific, measurable, evaluable, and highly operational. Each province shall decompose these tasks in accordance with the objectives stipulated in the Implementation Plan to ensure the effective implementation of various measures.

The Implementation Plan clarifies the guiding principles for cancer prevention and control, proposes adhering to a people-centered development philosophy, firmly establishing the concepts of “great hygiene” and “great health,” insisting on prevention first, combining prevention with treatment, and implementing comprehensive measures. It aims to innovate institutional mechanisms and work models, focus on the difficulties in cancer prevention and control, and concentrate superior resources to achieve key breakthroughs in critical areas. Based on the current status of cancer prevention and control and work requirements, the Plan defines the overall goal to be achieved by 2022: “curbing the rising trends in cancer incidence and mortality rates, and increasing the overall five-year survival rate for cancer by 3 percentage points compared to 2015,” along with five quantifiable work targets. Furthermore, it proposes eight major actions aligned with these objectives.

1. Risk Factor Control Actions.On the one handEmphasizing the Popularization of Health Knowledge and the Formation of Healthy Behaviors, advocating for residents to adopt healthy and civilized lifestyles; on the other handEmphasizing the Development of Health-Supportive Environments, providing residents with a healthy and safe living and working environment.

2. Action to Enhance Cancer Prevention and Control Capabilities.with the aim of promoting a balanced distribution of prevention and treatment resources,Establish and improve the National Cancer Center, regional cancer centers, and provincial cancer centers, and strengthen the responsibilities of cancer prevention and control institutions at all levels., thereby driving an overall improvement in the level of cancer prevention and control within the region.

3. Cancer Informatics Initiative.Leveraging Information Technology, promote the expansion and standard enhancement of cancer registration work, promote the sharing and utilization of information resources, advance applied research on cancer big data, and provide a basis for evidence-based decision-making.

4. Early Diagnosis and Treatment Promotion Campaign。Focusing on the development and promotion of technical guidelines, expanding coverage and the beneficiary population, and improving the long-term mechanism for screening,Advancing Cancer Screening and Early Diagnosis and Treatment to Greater Depths。

5. Standardization of Cancer Diagnosis and TreatmentStrengthen the standardized management of diagnosis and treatment, and provide optimal care for patientsRehabilitation Guidance、Pain Management、Long-Term Care and Nutrition、Psychological Support，Improve the Quality Control System for Diagnosis and Treatment, and Optimize Diagnostic and Therapeutic Models。

6. Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Initiative.Accelerate the development of a TCM-based prevention and treatment network for cancer,Enhancing the Capacity of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Cancer Prevention and Treatment, with Particular Emphasis on Its Role in “Preventive Treatment of Disease”, strengthen the prevention and early intervention of cancer with traditional Chinese medicine.

7. Ensure rescue and medical treatment operations.Adopt comprehensive healthcare security measures, and encourage the participation of commercial insurance and public welfare charitable organizations.Streamline Import Channels and Registration Approval for Clinically Urgent Anticancer Drugs，Improve the Dynamic Adjustment Mechanism of the National Reimbursement Drug List to Effectively Enhance the Accessibility of Anti-Cancer Drugs, to reduce the medical expense burden on the public.

8. Major Scientific and Technological Breakthrough Initiatives.Strengthen the development of cancer-related disciplines,Focusing on the Pathogenesis of High-Incidence Cancers, key areas such as prevention and treatment technologies,Strengthening Fundamental Frontier Research, and the full-chain deployment of diagnostic and therapeutic technologies and application demonstrations, while strengthening the translation and promotion of scientific research achievements to build a health industry cluster centered on cancer prevention and control.

To ensure the achievement of all objectives, the Implementation Plan requires local authorities to strengthen organizational leadership, establish and improve leadership and coordination mechanisms for cancer prevention and control, secure fiscal funding, and develop diversified financing mechanisms. Meanwhile, it mandates enhanced supervision and implementation, including the establishment of tracking and supervisory mechanisms to monitor progress in cancer prevention and control efforts. The National Health Commission, in collaboration with relevant departments, will regularly assess the implementation of work measures and evaluate the effectiveness of policy interventions.

See the full text link below:On September 23, the National Health Commission and several other ministries jointly issued the “Implementation Plan for Cancer Prevention and Control (2019–2022).”