BEIJING, Dec. 26 -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, demanded more targeted efforts to carry out patriotic health campaigns and concrete actions to protect people's safety and health.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the instruction concerning the 70th anniversary of the patriotic health campaigns.

Xi hailed the important role of patriotic health campaigns over the past 70 years in improving urban and rural environmental hygiene, effectively dealing with major epidemics, and elevating the level of China's health work. He acknowledged the approach of putting people's health at the center and taking prevention as the priority that the campaigns uphold under the leadership of the CPC.

More targeted patriotic health campaigns should be conducted as the country's COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control faces new situations and new tasks, Xi noted.

Xi demanded more efforts in guiding the public to acquire health knowledge and skills, maintain good personal hygiene, and form a healthy lifestyle to build a defense line against the epidemic for the whole society.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang made instructions on the matter and urged efforts to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, adhere to the principle of putting prevention first, and innovate related mechanisms and working approaches.

Noting that the country's epidemic response against COVID-19 is being implemented in an orderly fashion, Li called for efforts to further leverage relevant strengths and boost the initiative to carry out science-based epidemic prevention and control on all fronts.

Governments at all levels should redouble their efforts, effectively ensure people's access to medical services and anti-epidemic supplies, and safeguard people's lives and health, Li said.