health

For a Team of Chinese Scientists, the Oyster Is Their World

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

Inspired by oysters’ natural grip, a team of researchers from Zhejiang have created a bio-glue to fuse shattered bones, a world first.

Jiang Xinyi

Stub It Out! The Influencers Taking on Selfish Smokers

Empowered by legislation, a growing army of social media activists is waging war against smoking in public.

Fan Yiying

Chen Zhenyang

Chinese Brand Severs Ties With Marathon Winner Amid Controversy

The “fastest nurse” in China appealed to her employer to recognize running as a legitimate reason to adjust her hospital shifts, dividing netizens and resulting in a terminated sports contract.

Chen Yiru

Illegal Surrogacy Clinics Uncovered in Changsha, 18 Penalized

Staff from one of the unlicensed facilities, discovered in May after a tip-off, fled when police arrived, leaving behind medical equipment, drugs, and an unconscious patient on an operating table.

A Cigarette in an Old Mural Has China Debating a Literary Icon’s Legacy

An online complaint claiming the mural promotes smoking has divided opinion, drawing hundreds of comments. Officials say the image will stay unchanged.

Trainee Faked Her Way Into Elite Chinese Hospitals, 19 Punished

What began as a marital scandal spiraled into a corruption case that sparked public outcry, after a trainee with no medical background entered China’s top hospitals on falsified records and family ties.

After 4-Day Search, Boy With Autism Found Dead in SW China

The boy’s disappearance during a summer camp trip prompted nationwide concern. Authorities are now investigating the company that organized it.

Li Xin

Major Mosquito-Borne Viral Outbreak Hits Southern China

Over 7,700 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in Guangdong province since the beginning of July, exacerbated by heavy rainfall and thriving mosquito populations.

In China’s Brain-Computer Clinics, a Long Wait for a Second Chance

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

Thousands of paralyzed patients are signing up for brain computer interface trials, but only a handful meet strict medical criteria as doctors balance demand with science.

For Shanghai’s Dr. House, Every Patient Is a Neighbor 

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

MULTIMEDIA

Wu Huiyuan 

China Expands Drug Access, Insurance Coverage Under Reform Plan

During the latest Five-Year Plan, health authorities have sought to balance drug affordability and quality, as well as promote market stability and fairness.

Lead-Tainted Food Poisons 230 Kindergarten Children in NW China

Food at the private school contained more than 2,000 times the legal lead limit, triggering arrests and a sweeping probe into China’s worst kindergarten food safety case in years.

Treated With Dignity: The Nurses Taking Care to Homebound Patients

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

SIXTH TONE ×

A look at the life of a Beijing health care professional who travels 200 kilometers a day helping elderly and disabled patients.

The  Beijing News

Breathe Easy: Chinese Device Offers No-Needle Diabetes Tracking

The device analyzes acetone in exhaled breath, offering a faster, noninvasive alternative to traditional blood tests.

In the Ozempic Era, China Readies a Home-Grown Obesity Drug 

Mazdutide, used in the treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases, could become the first domestically-developed dual-target obesity drug to reach the market.

Chinese Scientists Use Gene Therapy to Cure Thalassemia in Children

Geneticists have used a cutting-edge DNA base editing treatment on several patients to cure thalassemia, a prevalent and severe genetic blood disease.

The Off-Label Therapy Chipping Away at Alcoholism

A surgical implant that reduces cravings for alcohol is helping free patients and their families from the pain of addiction.

Scroll Locked: Why Rural Teens in China Struggle to Disconnect

A new national survey links rising phone addiction and depression among rural youth to parental absence and limited mental health support.

He Qitong

Wu Yufei

Chinese Hospitals Issued Health Certificates Without Exams: CCTV 

State broadcaster investigation found agencies sent stand-ins, health certificates were sold online, and restaurants knowingly accepted unverified or forged documents.

Ding Rui

What’s in That Mooncake? China Says “Zero” Labels Must Mean Something

Regulators are banning vague “clean label” claims and requiring companies to disclose exactly how much of each ingredient is in the food.