According to a Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) study group yesterday, China ranked 13th on a list ranking international health conditions. The composition of the tally is a Nation Health Index (NHI), and four branch indexes measuring populations’ metabolisms, immunities, nervous systems and behavior. China is determined as “qualified healthy”. “A nation is like a person,” said CAS’ study group leader Yang Duogui. He also explained the relationship between immunities and the society– hinge on ecological conditions; resistance to financial risk and social stability.

Forty-five countries were evaluated in the study, which occupying 89.5 percent of the global GDP, 76.6 percent of the population and 64.2 percent of the land. According to their indexes, they were placed into four categories: “surplus healthy”, “qualified healthy”, “sub-healthy” and “health deficit”. Doe to its pioneering spirit, sense of responsibility, economic vitality and cohesion, China ranked No 1 among developing countries.

As what Yang said, China is unique because it has adopted a distinctive development process, and its uniqueness lies in its making great efforts to developing its power, rather than wealth, in its early years. From 1950s and 1960s to the reform and opening-up, people shifted their priorities from developing advanced sectors, such as nuclear power generation to generating national and per-capita wealth. Seeing the environmental problems, government and people focus their awareness on pursuing sustainable development, which has made it healthier.

“If we work to strengthen our capacities for responding to national risks, controlling the course of development, creativity, and resource and environment protection our country would move up the list,” Yang said.

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