Collaboration to help to combat chronic diseases

BEIJING - A senior health official has urged multi-department cooperation to better prevent and control the rise of non-communicable chronic diseases, which lead to 85 percent of all deaths on the mainland.

Kong Lingzhi, deputy director of the disease prevention and control bureau of the Ministry of Health, made the remarks on Tuesday at an event to mark World Heart Day, which falls on Sept 25 each year.

"Non-communicable chronic diseases are on a sharp rise in the country and are seriously challenging people's health," she said.