Poverty Reduction

The poverty rate has dropped substantially in the past 40 years, especially in rural areas, thanks to reform and opening up, Liu Yongfu, Director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, said on December 8.

The proportion of people living below the national poverty line decreased among the rural population from 97.5 percent in 1978 to 3.1 percent at the end of 2017.

More than 700 million rural residents have been lifted out of poverty over the past 40 years. It marks a miracle in the history of poverty reduction, Liu said, calling reform and opening up the driv- ing force behind the success. The targeted poverty reduction strategy, adopted six years ago, is the correct choice in the new era, he added.

The battle against poverty is one of the “three tough battles” China needs to win to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020. To achieve the goal, around 30 million rural residents have to be lifted out of poverty by 2020. is to eradicate iodine deficiency and end fluorine and arsenic poisoning caused by coal burning. It also includes ending Kaschin-beck disease, a bone joint disorder, and Keshan disease, a heart problem caused by mineral deficiency.

The plan will seek to control poisoning caused by fluorine and arsenic-laden drinking water, endemic fluorine poisoning caused by tea drinking and water-borne iodine excess.

Schistosomiasis or worm infection will also be eliminated.

The campaign has aligned its target with the national goal to eradicate absolute poverty by 2020 and requires that all current endemic disease patients and advanced-stage schistosomiasis patients receive ef-