Beijing Wednesday launched an ambitious action plan to raise the average life span of its inhabitants from 80.27 years to 81 years.
A special function was held in the city to mark the start of the scheme: Healthy Beijingers -- A Ten-Year-Long Action Plan for All Residents' Health Improvement. Among the attendees was Mayor Guo Jinlong.
Addressing the function, Fang Laiying, chief of the Beijing Municipal Health Department, said it was hoped to improve the health of locals comprehensively by the plan's implementation, but lengthening life span was just one of 11 objectives.
Further objectives are: increased health awareness, a decrease in the consumption of salt and edible oils, cuts in adult smoking rates, and more weekly exercise. The others are: greater awareness of dental hygiene, a drop in obesity rates in middle and primary school students, lower mortality rates among pregnant women and babies, better community health services for high blood pressure and diabetes control, and improved health checkups for people groups.
In accordance with the plan, the municipal government would work to achieve the objectives through popularizing health information, advocating healthy food, tobacco control and greater exercise.
