In the Era of Holistic Health, the 'Health' Boat No Longer Capsizes Easily

Following the proposal to build a "Beautiful China," the "Healthy China" strategy has once again become a highlight during the Two Sessions. In fact, as early as 2007, China introduced a three-step strategy encapsulated by the slogan, "Health safeguards the moderately prosperous society; the moderately prosperous society is measured by health." This year’s Government Work Report delivered at the Two Sessions re-emphasized that health is a fundamental need of the people, calling for continuous improvement in medical and healthcare services to build a "Healthy China."

As is well known, the “Healthy China” strategic plan emerged against the backdrop of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. This initiative aims to address health from the perspectives of holistic health, comprehensive public health, and integrated medicine, so as to maximally meet the people’s growing health needs. Although the introduction of relevant policies has led to greater public health awareness, expanded knowledge reserves, and more diverse forms of physical exercise, the suboptimal health status of a large segment of the population remains a cause for concern.

According to data from the “2016 White Paper on the Health Index of White-Collar Workers in Shanghai” (hereinafter referred to as the “White Paper”), the sub-health index for white-collar workers in Shanghai reached 86.2 in 2015 (on a scale of 0–100, with higher scores indicating more severe sub-health), representing an increase of 2.3 points from the previous year. The health awareness index stood at 81.7 (on a scale of 0–100, with higher scores indicating greater health awareness), remaining essentially unchanged from the prior year. The health behavior index was 65.4 (on a scale of 0–100, with higher scores reflecting more frequent, accurate, and comprehensive practice of healthy behaviors), marking a 17.2% increase from the previous year. The corporate health management index reached 55.3 (on a scale of 0–100, with higher scores indicating more comprehensive corporate health management practices), up by 2.6% from the previous year.

Thus, it is evident that although health awareness, health behaviors, and corporate health management among white-collar workers in Shanghai have improved, the suboptimal health status of this demographic has not only failed to improve but has continued to worsen. Despite our busy professional lives, this does not mean that our “health” is precarious and prone to collapse. What matters is that we clearly understand the significance of “comprehensive health” and establish clear goals, enabling us to joyfully and effectively embrace the path toward holistic well-being.

Embracing the Rapidly Evolving Era of "Big Health"

The 21st century is an era in which humanity pursues health; it is a new age where healthcare is accessible to all; and it marks a new stage shifting focus from economic development to personal health. Throughout this journey, we have witnessed continuous development and transformation across different periods. Taking the United States as an example, the period from 1875 to 1925 was the Era of Environment, characterized by smallpox vaccination, surgical antisepsis, and public health services; from 1925 to 1950 was the Era of Medicine, marked by the widespread use of sulfonamides, penicillin, and anti-tuberculosis drugs; from 1950 to 1980 was the Era of Lifestyle, defined by cardiac surgery, heart transplantation, and coronary artery bypass grafting. Thirty years later, in 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama called for reform of the American healthcare system.

According to the “2016–2021 Report on Market Prospects and Investment Opportunities in China’s Big Health Industry” published by Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, unlike the United States, where the health industry ranks as the fifth largest sector and accounts for 15% of GDP, China’s big health industry contributes less than 5% to GDP, indicating substantial room for catch-up growth in the future. Moreover, in terms of industrial structure, hospital-based medical services and healthcare products account for more than 90% of China’s big health industry. In contrast to the balanced development observed in the United States across medical services, home and community healthcare, medical products, and health risk management services, China’s big health industry requires significant structural improvements in the future.

On October 14, 2013, the State Council’s “Several Opinions on Promoting the Development of the Health Service Industry” clarified the service connotations and development direction of the broader health sector. In 2014, a series of policies related to healthcare services were successively introduced, driving deeper market exploration in the broader health industry. In 2015, building a “Healthy China” was elevated to a national strategy. Over the following five years, the health industry aligned with the “Healthy China” strategy would frequently benefit from favorable policies, which would be continuously implemented. Against this backdrop of sustained policy support, it is projected that during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the scale of the broader health industry and its various sub-sectors will achieve rapid growth, with the market size reaching RMB 10 trillion over these five years.

It can be said that the entire health and wellness industry stands at the threshold of industrial upgrading, poised to enter a golden period of accelerated growth. In the face of new opportunities and transformations in industry development, small, medium, and large enterprises in the healthcare sector that are eager for innovative growth must rapidly adapt to national policies and keep pace with the innovative integration of their industries or projects. Meanwhile, well-capitalized investors from various sectors are also watching closely, actively seeking investment directions and partners in this new environment.

The reason “Big Health” has become a popular topic embraced by the entire population is that it revolves around people’s daily necessities—clothing, food, housing, and transportation—as well as the fundamental stages of life, including birth, aging, illness, and death. It focuses on various risk factors and misconceptions affecting health, advocates for self-health management, and emphasizes care throughout the entire lifespan. Furthermore, “Big Health” pursues not only individual physical well-being but also comprehensive health encompassing mental, psychological, physiological, social, environmental, and ethical dimensions. Meanwhile, “Big Health” promotes a scientific and healthy lifestyle, enabling people to “be born healthy, live longer, avoid illness, suffer fewer diseases, experience delayed onset of disease, improve quality of life, and pass away peacefully.” In the future, the “Big Health” concept will more actively enhance public health literacy, encourage the adoption of scientific health guidance, and foster proper health-related consumption habits.

The World’s Largest Health Industry Summit Opens in Shanghai

To comprehensively promote the development of China’s medical and health industries on the global stage, Sinopharm-Reed Exhibitions Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Sinopharm-Reed”) has leveraged its three flagship exhibitions that span the entire pharmaceutical, medical, and healthcare industry chain—CMEF (China Medical Equipment Fair), PharmChina (China Pharmaceutical Fair), and API China (China International Pharmaceutical Raw Materials, Intermediates, Packaging & Machinery Fair)—to create the world’s largest health industry event: The Health Industry Summit (tHIS). The summit opened on April 17 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.

The 2nd tHIS Health Industry Leadership Summit, themed “Integration: New Momentum for the Health Industry,” provided an in-depth interpretation of the concept of “integration,” achieving seamless linkage and coverage across the entire industrial and value chains of the broader health sector. According to incomplete statistics, the summit attracted nearly 6,900 exhibiting companies from more than 30 countries and regions, and is expected to welcome 380,000 professional attendees from over 150 countries and regions during the event. Its remarkable popularity has fully captured the attention of the global health industry, injecting new momentum and providing fresh support for the overall innovation and upgrading of the broader health sector.

Hu Kunping, Managing Director of Sinopharm-Reed Exhibitions, stated in an interview: “We have meticulously planned the agenda for this summit. The China Medical Equipment Fair (CMEF), which kicked off on April 17, showcased over 10,000 products across 40 major categories, covering the entire industrial chain of medical devices. Industry giants from both domestic and international markets brought their most cutting-edge products and technologies, with more than 600 new products choosing the CMEF platform for their launches. These innovations span intelligent devices, internet technologies, telemedicine systems, genetic diagnostics, rehabilitation robots, 3D printing, and new energy sources. Furthermore, we have specially established a ‘Cool Tech’ exhibition zone to centrally showcase technologically innovative products, allowing attendees to intuitively experience and appreciate the convenience and wisdom brought by technological innovation.”

To fully showcase the vitality and rapid development of R&D in the medical industry, PHARMCHINA has kept pace with industry trends, striving to cultivate new growth points for the exhibition. It expanded into the “Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Formula Granules” sector, while the Health & Nutrition Exhibition (NE) ventured into the “Foods for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP)” sector. The NE’s inaugural dedicated zone attracted 18 companies occupying 40 booths, complemented by thematic forums that drew significant industry attention. In terms of internationalization, multiple international pavilions were established, and efforts to recruit overseas attendees were intensified, resulting in registrations from approximately 3,000 visitors across more than 30 countries, including nearly 300 group-organized attendees. Additionally, the China-South Korea Pharmaceutical Industry Forum was introduced for the first time. Notably, this edition of PHARMCHINA launched the TAP (Targeted Attendee Program) to precisely organize high-quality professional visitors and facilitate business matching with exhibitors.

The highly anticipated Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Exhibition also showcased over 50,000 types of APIs across 24 major categories. In response to industry development needs, the organizers launched the world’s first branded exhibition dedicated to pharmaceutical excipients and functional food ingredients—the 2016 China International Pharmaceutical Excipients/Functional Food Ingredients Exhibition (PHARMEX, hereinafter referred to as the Excipients & Ingredients Exhibition). Furthermore, a series of high-profile events, including Sinophex (International Pharmaceutical Engineering China Exhibition), PHARMPACK (Pharmaceutical Packaging Materials Exhibition), the 3rd PHARMPACK Star Product Awards, the 7th China-India Forum, and the 5th China-South Korea Pharmaceutical Industry Exchange Seminar, offered attendees an impressive array of opportunities.

2016 marked the inaugural year of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan. With “Healthy China” incorporated into the plan and a series of new policies encouraging innovation introduced, innovation has become the central theme driving the development of China’s healthcare industry, as well as the enduring engine for corporate growth and technological advancement. To establish an efficient matchmaking platform for innovative entrepreneurs and investors, Sinopharm-Reed Exhibitions held the Healthcare China 2016 Investment Conference and Sinopharm-Reed Healthcare Industry Investment Matchmaking Event, themed “Innovation × Capital,” prior to this summit.

“More than 500 enterprises and institutions participated in the 2016 China Healthcare Industry Investment Conference. This conference not only extensively explored new ideas, models, and opportunities, but also carefully selected five key sectors and featured nearly 80 CEOs from the most outstanding innovative companies domestically and internationally for dedicated roadshows. The event aimed to create a direct channel for industry-investment matchmaking and promote the improvement of China’s healthcare industry investment ecosystem. In addition, we continued our collaboration with the China National Pharmaceutical Information Center to launch and release the ‘2016 Blue Book on China’s Healthcare Industry,’ providing the most authoritative and professional report on China’s healthcare industry, offering comprehensive, multi-perspective, and objective analyses of the current state of the industry and future opportunities,” stated Ms. Hu Kunping, Managing Director of Sinopharm-Reed Exhibitions.

Empowering innovation with capital to propel the growth of China’s health industry relies on the practical implementation of innovative projects. By integrating leading technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics, the challenge of patient registration has been gradually alleviated through online appointment scheduling, while automated medication dispensing systems have enabled pharmacists to perform previously time-consuming and labor-intensive tasks more efficiently. In the future, Blue Card, leveraging its O2O operational model, will deliver more precise and convenient medical services by harnessing rapid, network-wide data processing capabilities based on primary care hospital data aggregated on cloud platforms. Meanwhile, Meinian Onehealth, operating in the chain-based traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) sector through an internet-driven model, will enhance user experience by providing a comprehensive online-to-offline closed-loop service that integrates standardized TCM practices.

In summary, the tHIS Health Industry Leaders Summit was not only a gathering of industry titans but also created a broad platform for intellectual exchange and the refinement of perspectives on hot topics and technological trends. By achieving connectivity across the entire industrial chain, the summit fully demonstrated the positive and significant impact China has made in promoting the development of the global medical and health industries. Furthermore, guided by policies such as “Internet Plus” and the Belt and Road Initiative, the health industry will not only drive a new round of industrial upgrading but also provide fresh opportunities for domestic and international enterprises to compete and communicate on the same stage, ushering in a new chapter of cooperation.