Track maternal healthcare

China needs to reenergize its healthcare system for women and children.

The economic boom has raised life expectancy and cut child mortality. But health services, particularly in rural areas, have failed to keep up. The huge gap between urban and rural health services is a reminder of the challenges facing the government.

China issued its first annual report on healthcare for women and children on Wednesday. It found that such diseases as breast cancer, cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS and syphilis are major threats to Chinese women's health, and premature birth, pneumonia and congenital heart disease are the main killers of our children.