China has 14.41 million health workers

BEIJING -- China had 14.41 million health workers at the end of last year, 425,000 more than the previous year, statistics from the National Health Commission (NHC) showed Thursday.

Statistics released by the NHC revealed there were about 1 million medical and health institutions across China in 2022, of which more than 80,000 feature traditional Chinese medicine.

The number of active physicians (physician assistants) and registered nurses per 1,000 people stood at 3.15 and 3.71, respectively, both figures higher than those in 2021, said the NHC.

By 2025, the number of health workers in China will hit 16 million, according to a health talent development plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

The NHC also reviewed progress on improving health care for women and children, as well as the health conditions of China's aging population.

Statistics showed that in 2022, 9.56 million babies were born, and the mortality rate among children under 5 stood at 6.8 per 1,000 and the infant mortality rate was 4.9 per 1,000, while the maternal death rate had dropped to 15.7 per 100,000.

By the end of 2022, nearly 19,500 primary medical and health institutions suited to elderly patients had been built, said the NHC.