ABSTRACT
Over the past sixty years, China’s health care system has changed dramatically. The issue of inaccessible and expensive medical services has been increasingly debated by the domestic and international press since the mid-1990s. In order to address this pressing social issue, the Chinese government began health reforms in the early part of this century, and intensified them in 2009 by launching its most ambitious ever reform plan, including accelerating the construction of a grassroots medical system and promoting access to basic public health services. The development of a community health service system in urban areas is recognised as a key element in bringing about reform.
