BackgroundThe maternal mortality rate (MMR) markedly decreased in China, but there has been a significant imbalance among different geographic regions (east, central and west regions), and the mortality in the western region remains high. This study aims to examine how much disparity in the health system and MMR between ethnic minority and non-minority counties exists in Sichuan province of western China and measures conceivable commitments of the health system determinants of the disparity in MMR.MethodsThe MMR and health system data of 67 minority and 116 non-minority counties were taken from Sichuan provincial official sources. The 2-level Poisson regression model was used to identify health system determinants. A series of nested models with different health system factors were fitted to decide contribution of each factor to the disparity in MMR.ResultsThe MMR decreased over the last decade, with the fastest declining rate from 2006 to 2010. The minority counties experienced higher raw MMR in 2002 than non-minority counties (94.4 VS. 58.2), which still remained higher in 2014 (35.7 VS. 14.3), but the disparity of raw MMR between minority and non-minority counties decreased from 36.2 to 21.4. The better socio-economic condition, more health human resources and higher maternal health care services rate were associated with lower MMR. Hospital delivery rate alone explained 74.5% of the difference in MMR between minority and non-minority counties. All health system indicators together explained 97.6% of the ethnic difference in MMR, 59.8% in the change trend, and 66.3% county level variation respectively.ConclusionsHospital delivery rate mainly determined disparity in MMR between minority and non-minority counties in Sichuan province. Increasing hospital birth rates among ethnic minority counties may narrow the disparity in MMR by more than two-thirds of the current level.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-017-4765-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Background The disparity in maternal and child health is a global issue. This study aimed to examine how much disparity in maternal and infant mortality exists between ethnic minority and non-minority counties in Sichuan province, and to examine the health-system determinants of this disparity. Methods In this cross-sectional observational study, we obtained data for maternal mortality and infant mortality, and health system data on health-related human resources, institutions, and services, for 67 minority counties (based on an official classification that considered size of the minority population, number of townships with a high concentration of minority residence, and a history of minority residency) and 116 non-minority counties inSichuan province for the years of 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. Data on maternal health-care service indicators were obtained from the Sichuan Maternal and Child Health Hospital; data on health human resources and health infrastructure were obtained from the Sichuan Health and Family Planning Statistic Information Centre; and data on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics were taken from the Sichuan Statistical Yearbook. A series of two-level Poisson regression models with different health system factors were fitted to identify the contributions of each factor to the inequality in maternal and infant mortality.

Background: In less than a year, COVID-19 has swept the world and continued, too, seriously threatening the safety of all mankind, and caused great social panic and global economic and financial crisis. At the beginning, the epidemic was first diagnosed in China and the epidemic was severe. Under the strong command of the highest level of the Chinese government, the whole Chinese people united as one, and achieved initial results in the struggle against COVID-19 with scientific prevention and control. Objective: Summarizing China's experience and lessons in combating the epidemic is undoubtedly very beneficial to the people of the world in jointly combating the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic. Measures: The article shows the imminent Chinese experience in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2. It details the lines of action and the measures taken to control this epidemic in the country where the population is quite large. The most important experience is: strong organizational leadership, enhanced cooperation with the WHO, the establishment of a national anti-epidemic headquarters, responsible for the command and control of human, financial and material resources throughout the country, and local officials at all levels in the front line of the epidemic, Heart to heart with the people, breathing together and sharing a common destiny. Prevention is the first, prevention and treatment are combined. All measures were taken to control the source of infection, cut off the spread and protect susceptible people. Conclusion: As long as the people of the world unite, make scientific decisions and learn from the successful experience of countries around the world, especially the China's experience, combine the national conditions of each country, and use the wisdom of all man-kind to deal with the common enemy SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, we can definitely win this people's war against the disease.