China to better help children in poverty

BEIJING - China will take enhanced measures to ensure healthy growth and proper education for the country's underprivileged children.

With health and education at the core, the government will provide assistance to children from rural impoverished families starting from their birth until they finish compulsory education, said a statement released after an executive meeting of the State Council, China's Cabinet, on Wednesday.

The meeting was presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

Participants at the meeting approved a national plan to promote the development for children in the poverty-stricken areas, pledging to expand the accessibility of free neonatal screening services for newborns.

With higher medicare insurance compensation, pregnant women in rural areas will be further encouraged to receive prenatal checkups and diagnosis as well as hospital delivery care, according to the plan.

Rural impoverished children with serious diseases such as congenital heart disease or leukemia will receive more compensation from the national medical insurance program. The government will also pilot nutrition improvement education for infants and children in poverty, the document said.

The plan also pledges to build more child welfare institutions, send more teachers to rural and remote areas and increase the allowances for special education and rural teachers.

Wednesday's meeting also approved a draft document to amend the country's law on promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements.

The draft featured improved provisions regarding the information disclosure, disposal and proceeds of scientific and technological achievements as well as better protection of intellectual property rights.

The meeting decided to submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for the lawmaker review.