Recent years have seen significant achievements in advancing the Healthy China Chongqing Initiative through various programs including the creation of sanitary towns, development of healthy towns, vector control, tobacco control campaigns, and health literacy improvement initiatives. The health literacy rate among residents has risen to 34.3%, representing an increase of 13.48 percentage points since 2019.
Through target assessments, demonstration projects, and urban-rural coordination measures, the creation of sanitary towns has been comprehensively promoted with increasing coverage rates. Currently, the municipality has established 20 national sanitary districts, 10 national sanitary counties, and 55 national sanitary towns, with coverage rates of 74%, 83.3%, and 6.9% respectively. The coverage rates for national sanitary districts and counties both exceed the national average. All districts and counties have achieved municipal-level sanitary status, with 440 municipal-level sanitary towns representing a coverage rate of 55.6%.
In accordance with implementation guidelines, the focus of public health campaigns has shifted from environmental sanitation management to comprehensive social health management, injecting new momentum into the Healthy China Chongqing Initiative.
For instance, 95 healthy towns have been established as part of healthy community development. Since the initiation of health demonstration project evaluations in 2020, 18 units have been recognized as exemplary health city and community building units. Shapingba District has been designated as a model city for healthy urban development for two consecutive years (2021-2022). Pilot programs for health impact assessment systems have been implemented across five districts and counties, resulting in 37 assessments (including 31 public policies and 6 major engineering projects) and establishing replicable best practices that promote the integration of health considerations into all policies.
The new era of public health campaigns focuses on transforming public health needs into attention toward healthy living and behaviors, guiding people to establish correct health concepts, develop healthy behavioral habits, and form social consensus around healthy lifestyles.
To this end, a three-year health literacy improvement initiative (2024-2027) has been launched, deepening the development of health science communication programs and strengthening health education efforts. Regular activities including health education programs reaching rural areas, households, and schools guide citizens to become primary responsible parties for their own health. Two consecutive Healthy China Chongqing Action knowledge competitions have reached over 12 million participants. Selection campaigns for health ambassadors and health advocates have recognized 5 ambassadors and 12 advocates, effectively mobilizing participation from industry associations, schools, families, and individuals. The health literacy rate among residents reached 34.3% in 2024, achieving the 2030 target ahead of schedule with a substantial increase of 13.48 percentage points since 2019.
Additionally, tobacco control initiatives under the Healthy China Chongqing Action have established 3,543 smoke-free government agencies, achieving 100% coverage. Smoking rates among adults aged 15 and above have consistently declined, meeting the annual targets of 24.5% (2020), 24% (2022), 23.5% (2023), and 23.2% (2024). Efforts to popularize smoke-free lifestyles have been strengthened through the implementation of smoking control regulations in public places, establishing joint meeting mechanisms for smoking control in public spaces, and gradually fostering a positive social atmosphere where people refrain from smoking in front of others and actively reject secondhand smoke.
Cross-regional cooperation has been continuously enhanced through events such as the Sichuan-Chongqing Disinfection and Vector Control Conference, which analyzed vector surveillance and control situations while developing countermeasures. Joint health promotion activities including health train initiatives and public health literacy campaigns have promoted six health maps across the region, reaching over 180,000 people with health science information. Collaborative health improvement activities across multiple regions have facilitated coordinated health development, helping to realize new health expectations for local residents while continuously enhancing their sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security.
