China Struggles to Provide Basic Health Care to Rural Residents (2/2)

Advocates say one problem is that doctors in rural areas earn very little. Rural medics get an average stipend of $65 a year, leading some to overcharge their patients.

China's health care system focuses on curing sicknesses rather than preventing them, because doctors here find that performing surgery and treating illnesses are more lucrative than providing annual check-ups and health education.

Murray says most of the rural residents with whom he works lack even the most basic knowledge of how to prevent disease.

"Research in the villages we worked in shows less than two percent of families adopt appropriatehygiene practices: whether it be washing; whether it be tooth-brushing; whether it be using boiled water. This is an indicator for us that health awareness, because it is not being prioritized by the government, and we believe it should be, would be an impact on these levels of knowledge, attitude, and practices."

The government has responded to the pressure by boosting spending on health infrastructure. Beijing also has introduced a program to provide basic insurance for less than two dollars a year. However critics say coverage is limited to illnesses and injuries and has virtually no provisions for preventive care.