China’s Growing Urban Health Inequalities: The Challenges Ahead

China is undergoing a rapid transformation from a rural, peasant based society into an urban one. This radical
change has had a profound effect on the Chinese population due to advancement through job opportunities and
new modes of consumption, contributing to a huge spatial shift of population from countryside to city. This effect
on China’s urban growth has resulted in a rise in the middle classes and in wealth. However this urban growth
generates a number of key health issues and inequities, which present challenges for the future. The purpose of this
paper is to explore these health issues and challenges that China’s urbanization growth poses. The
policyimplications will be significant.