On February 8, the Hubei headquarters for the control and treatment of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) issued a notice to urge medical institutions and women's federations, at all levels across Hubei Province, to adopt measures to help pregnant and lying-in women prevent and treat the disease.

Wang Weiguo, Deputy Director of the Office of the National Working Committee on Children and Women (NWCCW) under the State Council, recently told media the notice, which was drafted by the headquarters under the guidance of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), was intended to showcase the CPC (Communist Party of China) Hubei Provincial Committee and Hubei provincial government's care for pregnant and lying-in women (during the epidemic prevention and control period).

Wang stressed greater efforts should be made to publicize information about the notice, and to promote its implementation. He also urged the offices of the working committees on children and women, in different regions (of the country), especially the offices of the committees in the epidemic- afflicted areas, to learn from the experiences of Hubei in helping pregnant and lying-in women prevent and treat COVID-19, and in helping women solve difficulties in their lives.

Ma Dongling, an associate researcher with the Women's Studies Institute of China (affiliated with ACWF), recently told media the headquarters issued the notice to implement Chinese President Xi Jinping's instructions, calling for people's lives and health to be given top priority, during the prevention and control of the virus. Ma also noted the notice was intended to protect women's rights and interests, by protecting their and their babies' safety (during the epidemic prevention and control period). That, in turn, would ensure the wellbeing of the women's families, she added.

Ma also said the notice contained regulations on the protection of and care for pregnant and lying-in women. For example, the notice contained detailed information about how hospitals and healthcare organizations should provide various services (to the women), including prenatal and pregnancy examinations, and midwifery services. Ma said the notice also contained information about how the testing organizations and the designated hospitals should provide physical examinations, treatments and midwifery services to the women, who are suspected or well-being of being afflicted with the virus.

"The notice will affect not only the safety of pregnant and lying-in women, but also the family plans of numerous women, who are of childbearing age," said Yang Ke, an associate researcher with the Institute of Sociology, under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

(Women of China English Monthly March 2020 issue)