Senior experts decoding Government Work Report

Quality healthy life for all ages invaluable

Nadia Rasheed

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) welcomes the Chinese government's commitment to further strengthen social security and services to empower the elderly to live a quality healthy life, and to support young women, men and parents through family-friendly policies.

The UNFPA applauds the government's call to ensure that public services are inclusive, meet essential needs, and provide a cushion for those most in need. Around the world, the UNFPA advocates for a rights-based life-cycle approach to population dynamics to improve well-being at all ages, and to empower women and young people by expanding their choices, enabling them to have the number of children they want, and supporting them to achieve their full potential.

Childcare subsidies and services and quality reproductive health services are among the most important measures to support women and couples to achieve their desired family size, and to reduce the cost and burden associated with childbearing and childrearing. The supportive measures outlined by the government can help to significantly improve the well-being of children, young people and older persons, and reap the longevity dividend. The experience of China in managing demographic shifts and ensuring the well-being of all at all ages, will be invaluable to other countries that are facing similar trends.

Nadia Rasheed, the representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in China.

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