The average life span for the registered male population Shanghai is 79.42 years, up from the previous year’s 79.06, while females had a mean figure of 84.06 years up from 83.5.
Even allowing for a margin of error these longevity figures just published by the Shanghai Health Bureau are astounding.
Possibly in China these figures will not create any stir. But they are quite amazing being very different to the perception in other countries of life span in China. A quick test around a sample of Westerners showed that it was widely believed the figure would be around 60 with mid-fities being an oft quoted figure.
Life span and maternal and infant mortality rates are the three major data reflecting a country or a region’s medical-service standards and people’s general wellbeing. Xu Jianguang, director of the health bureau said, "All the three data in Shanghai are in line with developed countries."
Shanghai Daily reported that Shanghai last year started a project to build five big hospitals in rural districts of the Pudong New Area and districts of Minhang, Baoshan and Jiading, upgrade three district-level hospitals in Chongming County and the districts of Qingpu and Fengxian and relocate a hospital to Jinshan’s new town.