Rural children have higher death rate

Govt working to make sure all people are insured, official says

HONG KONG - Rural Chinese children are three to six times more likely than city children to die before they turn 5, a study found, highlighting the wide gulf in healthcare for the rich and poor in China.

Pneumonia, birth asphyxia, and premature birth complications are the leading causes of death in children younger than 5, the researchers said in a paper published on Friday in the Lancet.