What other hurdles remain to be overcome in the prevention and control of occupational diseases?

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More than 30 industries are exposed to occupational disease hazards; over 800,000 cases have been reported in total, resulting in economic losses amounting to hundreds of billions of yuan... The prevention and control of occupational diseases face a severe situation. How should our country address the problems caused by occupational diseases and ensure the occupational health of workers? What challenges need to be overcome in order to prevent and control occupational diseases? Recently, the **Health and Family Planning Commission reported on the results of inspections regarding the implementation of laws and regulations related to the prevention and control of occupational diseases, emphasizing the need for better coordination, clearer responsibilities, increased investment, and more effective actions to protect the health rights of the people. Occupational diseases refer to illnesses that occur in workers at employers such as enterprises, institutions, and individual economic organizations as a result of exposure to dust, radioactive substances, and other toxic and harmful factors during their occupational activities. **According to statistics from the General Administration of Work Safety, occupational disease hazards in China are present in more than 30 industries, including mining, chemicals, metallurgy, building materials, and other related sectors; enterprises with such hazards account for over 30% of all enterprises in the country. Scientific prevention and control: planning first. **The Health and Family Planning Commission stated that the prevention and control of occupational diseases have gradually been brought under legal and regulatory frameworks. Health and family planning administrative departments in 30 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government) across the country have issued a total of 219 relevant supporting documents, and 25 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government) have published plans for the prevention and control of occupational diseases. In accordance with the Law on the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases, **efforts are encouraged and supported to improve the scientific level of prevention and control of occupational diseases as well as the development of relevant medical institutions. At present, the network for the prevention and control of occupational diseases is continuously improving. **The National Health and Family Planning Commission reported that there are 3,497 health examination institutions and 580 institutions for diagnosing occupational diseases, representing increases of 92.9% and 39.4% respectively compared to 2009, with 315 agencies responsible for conducting evaluations. Nationwide, there are 56,663 medical institutions that provide radiological diagnosis and treatment services, as well as 580 institutions specializing in radiological health technology services. Over the past three years, a total of 1.24 billion person-times have received radiological diagnosis and treatment. It is worth noting that while the regulatory framework for the prevention and control of occupational diseases and the related service support network are gradually being improved, a coordinated inter-departmental mechanism has not yet been fully established, resulting in information silos among various departments. Relevant data show that in China, three provinces—Zhejiang, Henan, and Gansu—along with 98 cities and 1,685 counties, have not yet established a system of joint meetings among the departments responsible for occupational disease prevention and control; as a result, communication and coordination between these departments are not timely or smooth enough. No information exchange mechanism has been established between departments, preventing the sharing of data such as information on occupational disease hazards, occupational health information, and benefits related to occupational diseases and work-related injuries. Adhering to the principle of prevention first and a combination of prevention and control, and in accordance with relevant regulations, China adopts a classified management and comprehensive approach to the prevention and control of occupational diseases; fulfilling the primary responsibilities is key. The report states that among the 1,971 occupational health examination institutions sampled, 11.2% of their technical reports were not up to standard; some radiation health technology service institutions issued reports with issues such as incorrect application of standards and irregular original records, which indicates that the sense of responsibility, professional competence, and self-management capabilities of some of these institutions need to be improved. Today, as industrialization accelerates, the factors affecting workers’ health are increasing significantly. The tasks related to occupational health examinations, as well as the diagnosis, identification, and treatment of occupational diseases, are becoming more demanding, leaving a long way to go to meet the needs of occupational disease prevention and control. **The National Health and Family Planning Commission noted that in 4 provinces (autonomous regions) including Liaoning, Jiangxi, Gansu, and Ningxia, as well as 162 cities and 2,209 counties across the country, there are no dedicated funds for occupational disease prevention and control. Funding for such efforts at all levels, especially at the county level, is severely insufficient; there is a shortage of professional personnel, and some occupational health institutions do not operate in a proper manner. There is an imbalance between the supply and demand of radiological health technology services, with underdeveloped areas facing serious issues of insufficient equipment and outdated facilities. It is imperative to ensure occupational health by strengthening coordination, clarifying responsibilities, increasing investment, and promoting practical results. **The Health and Family Planning Commission emphasizes the need to further improve the inter-departmental coordination mechanism. Health and family planning administrative departments at all levels should promptly clarify their internal responsibilities, define roles clearly, establish sound internal communication systems, strengthen the sense of responsibility among prevention and control agencies, and improve the funding mechanisms in place. It is reported that China’s \"Healthy China 2030\" Plan outlines the need to strengthen supervision and management at all levels regarding occupational health, to ensure that relevant responsibilities are fulfilled, to address occupational disease hazards at their source, and to establish a hierarchical and categorized supervision mechanism for carrying out targeted efforts to control occupational disease hazards in key industries and sectors.