China Releases 49.1TB, 280 Million Records of Population and Health Scientific Big Data for the First Time

According to Xinhua News Agency, on January 4, the National Population and Health Science Data Sharing Platform released China’s big data resources in the field of population and health to the public for the first time at the National Population and Health Sci-Tech Resources Launch Event. The released big data comprises a total volume of 49.1 TB and 280 million records, covering seven major categories: biomedical sciences, basic medicine, clinical medicine, public health, traditional Chinese medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, and population and reproductive health.

More than 40 academicians, authoritative experts, and relevant leaders from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Health and Family Planning Commission attended this data release event. Centered on the theme of “Sharing Medical Scientific Data to Advance the Healthy China Initiative,” participants discussed the future and development of healthcare in China from perspectives including national major projects, key R&D programs, health policies, tiered diagnosis and treatment, and the construction and application of medical big data resources. In October 2016, the Outline of the “Healthy China 2030” Plan reiterated the promotion of the application of health and medical big data. Against this backdrop, the National Population and Health Science Data Sharing Platform convened the 2016 Summit on Innovative Applications and Development of Health and Medical Big Data, which holds significant importance for implementing national policies on population health and health big data. As a major project under the China Scientific Data Sharing Engineering initiative, the National Population and Health Science Data Sharing Platform undertakes tasks related to the submission, processing, storage, mining, and sharing services of scientific data in the field of population health, supporting national major science and technology special projects, science and technology programs, and major public welfare special projects.

The National Population and Health Science Data Sharing Platform originated from the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Scientific Data Sharing Project launched in 2002. In 2005, it was incorporated into the construction of the National Science and Technology Basic Conditions Platform and renamed the “Medical and Health Science Data Sharing Network.” In 2009, it entered a phase of long-term operational service and was upgraded to the “National Population and Health Science Data Sharing Platform.” Over its 15-year development, spanning four national Five-Year Plans, the platform has undergone four phases of construction: the establishment of the Medical and Health Science Data Sharing System, the development of the Medical and Health Science Data Sharing Network, the construction and operational service of the National Population and Health Science Data Sharing Service Platform, and the development of large-scale datasets. It has now become one of the key components of the National Science and Technology Basic Conditions Platform.

Director Chen Wenjun of the Department of Basic Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, gave full affirmation to the National Population Health Scientific Data Sharing Platform. He stated that during the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the platform achieved remarkable results in health policy-making, major engineering projects, scientific and technological initiatives, emergency response, and public welfare services. The platform served 2,368 higher education institutions, 718 government agencies, 47 military and national defense departments, 441 non-governmental organizations, and 1,418 other entities. It supported 4,281 various scientific and technological projects, facilitated the publication of 8,284 papers and 381 monographs, underpinned 156 patents, contributed to the development of 257 standards, generated 91 scientific and technological achievements, informed 155 government policy decisions, supported 102 major engineering projects, assisted in responding to 43 emergency incidents, and delivered 144 services benefiting public livelihood.

The newly released data provides a comprehensive reflection of the health status of Chinese residents. Taking the construction of the National Physical Fitness and Health Database as an example, the survey employed a multi-stage, random, cluster sampling methodology. Currently, the database has stored three phases of data, comprising over 200 physical fitness and health indicators from 160,000 subjects of various ethnic groups across more than ten provinces nationwide, along with associated graphical and image data, totaling over 50 GB. This database serves as a reference for objectively reflecting national levels of physical fitness and health, including growth and development, major organ function, and disease prevalence trends. It can be used to assess population health levels at different stages of social and economic development in China, evaluate the impact of population mobility and rural urbanization on public health, and assess the health effects of environmental pollution and its control measures. Furthermore, it provides foundational data and technological support for research on major diseases in China, while also offering important scientific evidence for the government to formulate macro-level policies related to population and health.

You can now log in to the National Population and Health Science Data Sharing Platform at http://www.ncmi.cn to query big data.