China to merge health ministry, family planning commission

The proposed integration of the two ministries drew applause from legislators and experts.

"What the current Health Ministry and the National Population and Family Planning Commission are doing now is actually the same, in terms of their work concerning the birth, aging, illness and death of the people," said legislator Chen Haixiao, director of the Taizhou Enze Medical Care Center in east China's Zhejiang province.

"A 'super health ministry' has been expected for a long period of time," he said.

Chen said some regions, including Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province, have found success in pilot programs integrating the two departments in recent years.

"Public health and population development are closely connected. Incorporating population, welfare and health management into a single ministry will boost efficiency and facilitate administrative tasks," said Hu Yonghua, dean of the Public Health School at Peking University.

Professor Wang Yukai with the Chinese Academy of Governance said the merger does not mean the family planning policy will be abandoned in the country with a population of 1.3 billion.

"After the integration, China still needs to keep to its family planning policy, but what is more important is that China must strive to improve the quality of the population," he said, referring to boosting various aspects of people's lives, including education, health and general well-being.