health

China Develops Groundbreaking New Breast Cancer Treatment

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

Trials suggest the new therapy can improve treatment outcomes for triple-negative breast cancer by over 12%.

Jiang Xinyi

Shanghai Launches Campaign Against Smoking in Outdoor Public Spaces

The drive will target people smoking while waiting in line, walking on busy streets, or standing outside entrances to public buildings.

Li Xin

Starter Pack: How China’s Children Got Hooked on Cigarette Cards

A new craze for cutting cigarette packs into collectible cards is causing serious concern in China, where smoking kills over 1 million people each year.

Fan Yiying

A Hubei TCM Clinic Promised to Cure Cancer. Then the Deaths Began.

Officials looking into how a clinic lured hundreds with bold cancer cure claims have uncovered illegal practices, unqualified staff, and dangerous remedies linked to multiple deaths.

Chen Yiru

The Sanitary Pad Scandal Causing Uproar on Chinese Social Media

A string of sanitary pad brands have admitted their products are often smaller than advertised — sparking fury among Chinese women.

Ding Rui

In China, a New Paid Period Leave Policy Revives an Old Debate

A new initiative in Yunnan province, allowing women to take up to two days off with a doctor’s note, has reignited discussions about a decades-old policy few have even heard of.

Li Miaoran

How Do Chinese Spend Their Time?

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

The National Time-Use Survey is perhaps the best window into how 1.4 billion Chinese split their days between work, play, and sleep. Here are some of this year’s answers.

Luo Yahan

Young Lives, Heavy Dust: Battling Pneumoconiosis

The Paper

Lü Xiao

Heat Wave-Related Deaths Soared in China in 2023, Report Finds

Fatalities caused by heat waves were over 300% higher than the historical average in China last year, according to a major new Lancet study.

Talk in Your Sleep? You Could Be at Risk of a Stroke

Sleep talking, once considered harmless, is actually a strong predictor of severe health problems including strokes, researchers at China’s Fudan University have found.

Life on Call: Why Chinese Anesthesiologists Are Burning Out

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

Chinese anesthesiologists face a triple threat of high technical demands, high risks, and high workloads while remaining undervalued in the health care system.

China Clamps Down on Fake Prescriptions After Massive Fraud Case

China will require pharmacies to process certain drug purchases through an online system, after discovering four rogue stores had forged prescriptions worth over $10 million.

He Qitong

Mind’s Eye Blind: A Shanghai Clinic Treats a Disorder None Can See

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

China’s first clinic for aphantasia and spatial disorders aims to help children with these rare conditions. However, anxious parents focused on math struggles have sparked debate over the clinic’s approach.

Cigarette Sales Are Rising in China, Defying Global Trend

The use of “slim cigarettes” and a slowdown in official anti-tobacco efforts is concerning experts.

Lin Liuhan

China Expands Insurance Coverage for Cochlear Implants

There are over 27 million people affected by hearing loss in China, but many can’t afford surgery.

China Adds Lung Disease to National Public Health Scheme

The move will enable the country’s more than 100 million chronic pulmonary disease patients to access free annual check-ups.

Why Are Chinese Hospitals Charging Men for Gynecological Exams?

A government investigation has uncovered thousands of examples of hospitals falsifying insurance claims.

Chinese Survey Reveals Stark Divides in Elderly Labor Force 

The findings suggest that China needs to continue addressing social inequities in addition to raising the retirement age, according to the authors.

In China, A New Alzheimer’s Drug Is Met With Cautious Optimism

Lecanemab was approved for use in the country earlier this year. But getting the most out of the drug will require broader reforms.

China’s Milk Tea Industry Gets a Health Check

A new grading system currently being tested in Shanghai aims to give consumers a clearer picture of the sugary drinks’ nutritional value — or lack thereof.