Strides made in reducing new disabilities

China has made headway in curbing the occurrence of new disabilities in recent years by bolstering prenatal exams, chronic disease management, road safety and rehabilitation therapies, an official said on Tuesday.

The moves were part of a five-year campaign rolled out by the central government in 2016 to help reduce the occurrence of disabilities.

Hu Xiangyang, who oversees rehabilitation affairs at the China Disabled Persons' Federation, said coverage of pre-pregnancy and prenatal exams now stands at 96.4 percent and 81.1 percent respectively, and added that the pre-pregnancy checkup has become a basic public service offered by the government.

More than 60 percent of high blood pressure and diabetes patients also receive regular treatment, he told the news conference, which was held in Beijing on Wednesday to mark China's fifth Disability Prevention Day.

About 3,400 cataract patients in a million have received surgery and 95.1 percent of registered patients with severe mental disorders have been placed under treatment, Hu said.

The number of work accidents and deaths dropped 39.8 percent and 36.3 percent, respectively, compared to the level in 2016 before the five-year effort began. Road safety has also improved, with deaths in traffic accidents per 10,000 vehicles down by 22.4 percent.

The coverage of basic rehabilitation services and accessible aids and devices stands at 80 percent, Zhang said, adding that 967,000 children with disabilities have received assistance.