Strengthening efforts to prevent and treat AIDS and other serious diseases is significant to safeguarding people’s health, according to Premier Li Keqiang’s instruction to a State Council joint ministerial meeting in Beijing on Nov 29.

The meeting, which is also the third conference of the State Council Commission on the Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS, gathered ministries for the first time to jointly discuss their work on the prevention and treatment of serious diseases.

Premier Li spoke highly of the achievements in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment of the nation during the period of the 12th Five-Year Plan and brought up plans for future prevention and treatment efforts.

Coordination with the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development that aims to terminate AIDS, prevention and treatment efforts on AIDS should be enhanced, as policy measures of nucleic acid test, mother-to-child transmission prevention and HIV/AIDS patient assistance will implemented.

In addition, the budget for AIDS prevention and treatment, research on and development of AIDS medicine, and international prevention will be promoted; social organizations and volunteers will play a positive role to curb HIV/AIDS transmission.

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong attended the meeting and stressed that based on the overall plan to build a healthy China, efforts should be made to establish the concept of general health, improve the prevention mechanism and service system, and comprehensively develop prevention and treatment skills of serious diseases, protecting public health and sustainable economic and social development.

She urged improving the prevention and cure of major diseases and epidemics to effectively protect people’s health.

In terms of HIV/AIDS, she said a comprehensive solution is needed, including education of key groups, effective checks, precautions and follow-up service, and better care for those infected.

She said more money and resources should be used to deal with AIDS and that public health institutions and hospitals should work together. Also, a healthy lifestyle should be promoted.

She urged effective measures to deal with other diseases, such as cancer, hypertension, diabetes and acute infectious diseases; implementation of the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development; improving international cooperation on healthcare and dealing with cross-border epidemics.