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BEIJING - Over 2 million impoverished patients were treated in China in 2016, said Wang Pei'an, deputy head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) on Friday.

Wang made the remarks at a press briefing, and he spoke of the national program that began in June 2016 and focused on poverty alleviation via improved healthcare.

According to Wang, medical security for impoverished people was enhanced in 2016, with 67.6 percent of the poor people subsidized for their hospital expenses.

Also in 2016, patients in 74 percent of impoverished counties were able to receive treatment before paying thanks to the program, said Wang.

A database on their illnesses has been set up in order to prioritize the treatment of major illnesses, and 90,000 impoverished people have been treated for such illnesses since February 2017, according to Wang.

Illness is a major cause of poverty among China's rural population, with over 44 percent of the impoverished people in rural areas suffering from illnesses at the end of 2015, statistics from the NHFPC showed.