Pharmacists work at a hospital in Enshi, Central China's Hubei province. [Photo/VCG] BEIJING - The government will allow inclusion of more medicines for serious diseases in the list of medical insurance reimbursement, following a successful attempt in 2018, said a senior health official Tuesday. The government will try to lower the prices of these medicines through negotiations with pharmaceutical firms, said Xiong Xianjun, a senior official with the National Healthcare Security Administration, at a press conference held in Beijing. Seventeen types of cancer medicines were included on China's medical insurance reimbursement list last year, with their payment standards 56.7 percent lower than their retail prices on average. By the end of last year, Chinese hospitals and pharmacies purchased 1.84 million doses of the cancer medicines at the lower prices reached by the government with suppliers, according to Xiong. They paid 562 million yuan (about $83.88 million) for the medicines, 918 million yuan less than if the medicines were sold at the retail price, he said. The medical insurance fund paid out 256 million yuan to the insurance policy takers for the cost of the medicines in 2018, he added. rheumatoid arthritis silicone bracelets24 hour wristbandbracelet montre siliconefigured wristbandpersonalized heart bracelet
Workers install solar panels at a photovoltaic power station in Weining, Guizhou province. [Photo provided to China Daily] China, the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, has cut its carbon intensity by 46 percent over the 2005 level, said Li Gao, director of climate change of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, on Wednesday. China made a promise at the 2009 Copenhagen climate change summit to cut the intensity of carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 40 to 45 percent by 2020 from the 2005 base level, said Li. In 2017, the country's carbon intensity dropped by 46 percent from the 2005 level, which means it fulfilled the promise three years ahead of schedule. China also pledged at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference to reach the peak of carbon emissions at around 2030, and raise the percentage of non-fossil fuel power consumption to 20 percent by then. In 2017, the share stood at 13.9 percent. Li said after years of forestation efforts, the country has a forest stock volume of 15.1 billion cubic meters, an increase of 1.4 billion cubic meters from 2005, which creates a solid foundation for the nation to reach its emission reduction target.
