China will expand its basic public health service program to include health services for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, according to a circular released by the National Health Commission and three other government departments on Friday.

Grassroots health institutions will begin registering and offering free routine examinations and health management services for residents with COPD, a chronic respiratory disease affecting around 120 million people in China and causing more than 1.2 million deaths annually.

The program already covers high blood pressure and diabetes. Although COPD is the third most common chronic illness in China, public awareness remains low, and treatment quality at grassroots clinics is uneven.

The commission said it will issue regulations to standardize COPD services and enhance the training of grassroots doctors. Major hospitals will provide technical guidance to smaller clinics.

China will also increase the fiscal subsidy for basic public health services to 94 yuan ($14.6) per capita this year, a five-yuan increase from 2023. The additional funds will be used to improve healthcare for the elderly and chronic disease patients, expand free cancer screening programs for rural women, and raise awareness of issues like weight management, children's eye care, and infectious disease control.