China has 260m sufferers of chronic diseases

China now has 260 million sufferers of chronic diseases, which are being blamed for up to 85 percent of the country's deaths, according to the 2012-15 action plan on chronic-disease prevention and control.

Chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes have become more prevalent and now account for about 70 percent of total medical treatment expenditure in China, according to the action plan issued by the Ministry of Health.

"Fast urbanization and industrialization, unhealthy lifestyles, and a rapidly aging society are mainly responsible for the situation," said Kong Lingzhi, deputy director of the ministry's disease prevention and control bureau, at a regular news conference on July 9.

Kong said major chronic diseases in China include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and respiratory diseases.

The action plan, jointly devised by 15 government agencies that include the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and the National Development and Reform Commission, also sets targets of reducing the adult smoking rate to below 25 percent and encouraging at least 32 percent of citizens to do regular physical exercise.

The plan aims to cap the adult obesity rate within 12 percent and set up major cancer treatment projects in high prevalence areas.