The smoking rate among adults in the city has dropped to 19.9 percent, health officials told an international “Healthy City” symposium on Thursday. They said over 28 percent of local residents had acquired a proper awareness and knowledge of health issues.
Shanghai has pledged to become model healthy city and had introduced measures to perfect health services, improve clinical capabilities and promote knowledge of chronic disease prevention and control, the meeting heard.
However, the rising numbers of elderly people and changes in the range of diseases, the environment and lifestyles were all challenges to achieving the goal.
Health education and services are far from sufficient, officials said.
To boost local health services, the government is to launch a “health Shanghai campaign” with a first batch of 40 programs.
A guidance book was released on Thursday to direct health education and promotions in the city.