The number of assisted reproductive institutions reaches 645 in China

The number of assisted reproductive institutions across China has reached 645, with clinical success rates now on par with advanced international levels, an official from the National Health Commission said on Friday.

Fu Wei, director of the commission's department of maternal and child health, said that as part of efforts to ensure safe, convenient, and pleasant fertility services, the country has guided medical institutions to establish specialized clinics for women in early pregnancy — defined as within 14 weeks of gestation.

To date, 12,226 such clinics have been set up nationwide, covering all county-level and district-level regions essentially, she said during a news conference.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–25), China's prenatal screening rate and pre-pregnancy health examination rate remained over 90 percent, while the neonatal disease screening rate exceeded 99 percent.

Moreover, the country has established 3,571 critical maternity care centers and 3,221 critical neonatal care centers, Fu added.

Efforts are also underway to promote the development of childbirth-friendly hospitals, with a focus on increasing the number of single and double rooms in maternity wards, scaling up the use of medication-assisted pain relief during labor, and delivering personalized, patient-centered care services, Fu said.