Chinese healthcare 'still catching up' with growth

China's government has admitted that the country's healthcare system is having difficulties keeping pace with the fast pace of its economic growth.

Changes over the past thirty years have seen healthcare become increasingly expensive, with rising charges for medical care and prescriptions, the BBC reported.

The country's rural population also suffers from patchy access to heath services, contributing to the admission by Chinese health minister, Chen Zhu, that there were shortfalls in medical provision.

"There is still a significant gap between the party and state council's requirements and people's new expectations," he said.

In the wake of his comments, Mr Chen launched a new campaign, Healthy China 2020, which sets out a number of goals including raising the country's life expectancy, the BBC reported.

New figures published by the Ministry of Health revealed an increase in the average Chinese life expectancy between 2000 and 2005, to 73 years, as well as a drop in both infant and maternal mortality.

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