In an effort to promote balanced population development, the National Health and Family Planning Commission will improve population monitoring, prediction and research, and provide assistance to solve the challenges facing couples in having and raising children, according to a statement published by the commission on Jan 18.
Following the introduction of the universal second-child policy in 2016, the commission released a series of measures designed to minimize risks during pregnancy.
The measures included encouraging local health authorities to raise the number of obstetrics beds in hospitals, improving training for obstetricians and providing more equipment in maternity units.
Yuan suggested that authorities now need to take more concrete measures to encourage births so the universal second-child policy will work more effectively.
"For example, authorities must build more infant nurseries and public kindergartens, which will charge far less than private ones," he said.
