Sociomedical Achievements in the People's Republic of China

The authors have had the unique opportunity of visiting China three times, in 1964, 1967, and 1971. Since liberation (a term indicating the founding of the People's Republic of China) in 1949, China has undergone metamorphoses from economic, social, and medical viewpoints. Living conditions have improved markedly. Vaccinations have eradicated common infectious diseases. Social diseases are disappearing, and venereal diseases have been eliminated. The‘ state of general hygiene is good. Recent bumper harvests help to explain the good nutritional state of children, adolescents, and adults. The mortality of infants and preschoolchildren has dropped sharply, leading to a drastic reduction in total mortality. Birth control efforts can be traced back to the middle 1950s. Late marriage and contraception are promoted, the latter including the pill, abortion, and sterilization. Since the decline of birth and death rates, the natural population increase is probably 20 per 1000. China's present population approaches 800 million. Mao Tse-tung's directive, “In medical and health work, put the stress on the rural areas,” has been upheld since the Cultural Revolution. Practitioners of traditional medicine prescribe herbs and practice acupuncture for treatment and anesthesia, methods which still await scientific evaluation. Medical education follows the same pattern as general education in that practice is given priority over theory. The organization of public health exhibits certain weaknesses, but the state of health of the population is incomparably better than in surrounding Asian countries or in China prior to liberation.