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Although the health in all policies approach has been highlighted as a strategy in national and global policy documents, its implementation is also a challenge for China. Strong leadership from the central and local government is critical for successful implementation of policies and programmes that can truly improve health. For example, the Chinese government has issued national action plans to improve air quality since 2013, implementing comprehensive multisectoral actions that resulted in a significant reduction in PM2.5 concentrations between 2014 and 2022.12 In contrast, after 15 years of implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in China, the best performing of the six recommended tobacco control measures are the monitoring of tobacco use and prevention policies and anti-tobacco mass media campaigns, both of which are primarily led by the health sector.13 14 Gaps remain in the implementation of other measures that need national or non-health sector’s leadership, such as national smoke-free law, health warnings on tobacco packaging, and tobacco tax increases.

revention policies and anti-tobacco mass media campaigns, both of which are primarily led by the health sector.13 14 Gaps remain in the implementation of other measures that need national or non-health sector’s leadership, such as national smoke-free law, health warnings on tobacco packaging, and tobacco tax increases. NCDs and infectious diseases are not entirely distinct disease categories; rather, they share similar features and also have common interactions.15 For example, major NCDs increase the risk of severe or fatal outcomes of covid-19, and covid-19 can also lead to long covid, a chronic health condition. Experiences with covid-19 also show that it is important to prevent people with chronic diseases from having infections, particularly during a communicable disease outbreak.16 Three decades ago, the management of the prevention and control of infectious diseases and NCDs in China was merged into one department, the Department of Disease Control and Prevention of the former Ministry of Health. In May 2021, China inaugurated a new agency under the National Health Commission called the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, with primary responsibilities for infectious disease prevention and control and public health supervision. However, this new agency is not in charge of NCD prevention and control, which was taken over by the Department of Medical Emergency Response.

ion called the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, with primary responsibilities for infectious disease prevention and control and public health supervision. However, this new agency is not in charge of NCD prevention and control, which was taken over by the Department of Medical Emergency Response. The BMJ collection contributes to a growing understanding of NCD prevention and control, not least by showing that successful national prevention and control will depend on strong leadership from the central and local governments, on the integration and collaboration of both health and non-health sectors, and on policies made based on evidence relevant to the Chinese population. It will also require a shift from health in all policies to a health for all policies approach—that is, moving from focusing on wins for the health sector to emphasising co-benefits for all sectors.17