The fourteenth Five-Year Plan for Shanghai’s health development was outlined at a press conference held on Thursday, July 15.

Ms. Zong Ming, vice mayor of Shanghai mentioned the municipality’s specific goals. Three main goals for 2021-2025 are: a high-quality people-centered health service system; a health tech innovation center with global influence and a world example of a healthy city; and one of the world’s most complete public health systems.

Under the blueprint, Shanghai’s average life expectancy is to reach over 71 years old by 2025, and citizens’ health literacy rate is to surpass 36%.

What’s more, Shanghai is to promote medical technology innovation using big data and AI during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, said Zhu Qigao, deputy director of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality. Integrated development of basic and clinical medicine will be promoted, as will the cross-discipline and integrated development of medicine and emerging disciplines. The city aims to speed up the driving force of medical technology innovation by integrating medicine, biotechnology, IT, engineering technology and AI, added Zhu Qigao at a Shanghai municipal government press conference on July 15.

For the next five years, Shanghai will emphasize a smart first aid service, according to Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission. Once a patient is in an ambulance, their health condition, heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation and other real-time conditions will be quickly connected to the emergency room through 5G.