China will advance the implementation of the health-first development strategy and deepen medical reform with greater intensity to meet people's expectations for better medical care services, said an official at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) on Sunday.

Lei Haichao, head of the National Health Commission, said that efforts will be made in four areas to achieve this.

Lei underscored the importance of strengthening medical services at the grassroots level and further leveraging advanced technologies in public health to promote equality.

"First, we will further promote high-quality development. We plan to implement a series of key projects, including strengthening the grassroots healthcare system and expanding and enhancing rehabilitation care, both highlighted in the government work report. These are concrete measures to reinforce primary-level services, address weak links, and strengthen areas of vulnerability. We will continue to utilize advanced methods such as mobile medical teams, telemedicine, and internet-based diagnosis and treatment to improve the fairness and accessibility of healthcare services, further consolidating the foundation of healthcare for the people," Lei said.

"Second, we will further deepen the reform of the healthcare system. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), we plan to establish around 1,000 compact county-level medical communities to enhance the continuity of medical and health services. At the city level, we will promote the establishment of referral and consultation centers," he added.

The official also stressed the need to swiftly and properly handle infectious diseases and said the ministry will endeavor to raise people's average life expectancy to 80.

"Third, we will further strengthen public health security capabilities. It is essential to effectively prevent and control infectious diseases. This requires enhancing our capacities in infectious disease surveillance and early warning, risk assessment, medical treatment, rapid response, and other areas, including testing and inspection," said Lei.

"Fourth, we will build a global community of health for all. The four areas outlined above represent some of our key priorities. In terms of health, we have set a goal of raising the average life expectancy to 80 years by 2030. We will work diligently towards this goal," he noted.

China's top legislature opened its annual session on Thursday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders attending the opening meeting alongside more than 2,700 NPC deputies. This year's NPC session is scheduled to run till March 12.