Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China

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Formed
  
1954

Headquarters
  
Beijing

Dissolved
  
March 2013

Preceding agency
  
Ministry of Health of the Central People's Government

Superseding agency
  
National Health and Family Planning Commission

Jurisdiction
  
People's Republic of China

The Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China (MOH) is an executive agency of the state which plays the role of providing information, raising health awareness and education, ensuring the accessibility of health services, and monitoring the quality of health services provided to citizens and visitors in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. In the reforms of 2013 the ministry has been dissolved and its functions integrated into the new agency called the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The MOH is also involved in the control of illness and disease, coordinating the utilisation of resources and expertise where necessary. It also cooperates and keeps in touch with other health ministries and departments, including those of the special administrative regions, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

As part of the National Health and Family Planning Commission it is now headed by Ms. Li Bin (Simplified Chinese: 李斌; Hanyu Pinyin: Lǐ Bīn). Until 2013 it was headed by the Minister for Health, a position last held by Dr Chen Zhu (陈竺) who was then one of the only two ministers in the State Council who are not members of the Communist Party of China. He is the chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, one of the "8 democratic parties" of the PRC.

Functions and responsibilities

The MOH reports directly to the State Council. Its functions include:

  • Drafting laws, regulations, plans and policies related to public health
  • Formulating policies for maternity and child-care programs
  • Overseeing disease prevention and treatment
  • Controlling the spread of epidemics
  • Supervising blood collection
  • Reforming medical institutions
  • Overseeing state hospitals
  • Drawing up medical science and technology development projects
  • Setting quality standards for foods and cosmetics
  • Overseeing medical education and setting related standards
  • Controlling the Beijing Medical College and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; and
  • Overseeing the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine
  • References

    Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China Wikipedia