Medical and social security departments in Aksu Prefecture, in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in January implemented several measures aimed at easing residents' burdens when paying bills related to childbirth.
Aksu eliminated out-of-pocket payments for inpatient childbirth. By the end of July, some 40.28 million yuan (US $5.92 million) in childbirth costs had been reimbursed to 5,754 women. The cost of pain-relief service, during labor and delivery, can also be reimbursed.
Residents don't need to apply for childbirth subsidies. Through data sharing between local hospitals and the medical insurance system, the subsidies can be calculated automatically and transferred directly to residents' bank accounts.
Eight medical services, each using assisted reproductive technologies, have been included in the region's healthcare reimbursement scheme since 2024.
(Women of China English Monthly September 2026)
Editor: Wang Shasha
