From institutional construction to life style promotion: evolution of public health policy during seven decades in People′s Republic of China

The construction of public health system is the practice of social governance by intervening on individuals′ and populations′ health status. Since the founding of the People′s Republic of China, public health policy have undergone a series of changes, which could be marked by four durations: a period of health welfare (1949 – 1978), a period of market-oriented reform (1978 – 2003), a period of returning to public welfare (2003 – 2015), and a period of Healthy China Construction (2015 to present). Throughout this series of changes, the goal and implementation of public health policy were transformed from macro-health system construction to the promotion of healthy life style at individual level. Strengthening individual health awareness and public health awareness in the construction of public health system and ensuring that system design effectively responds to residents′ living needs are conducive to promote the transformation of public health policy.