China Charity Federation and China Health Education Center, together with several other parties in China, have jointly launched a public welfare initiative to increase the public's awareness of rare diseases.

Chinese local NGO Chaotie Center has jointly held a forum with Save the Children in Kunming, the capital city of Yunan province in southwest China, to call on youngsters to keep away from tobacco.

Edward Yau, the secretary of the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong, has stated that Hong Kong will work out a range of measures this year and hold public consultations with the aim of updating the air pollution index.

Earlier this year, Coca-Cola unveiled its sugar-free carbonated drink Zero in China, but in recent days rumors have been spreading quickly around the Chinese Internet that the carbonated beverage is unfit for human consumption.

On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day on June 14, the World Health Organization says China has made progress in tackling contamination from unsafe blood by reaching close to 100% voluntary blood donation.

Guangzhou will stop selling cigarettes for one day on May 31, the World No Tobacco Day.

The World Health Organization has launched the WHO-China Country Cooperation Strategy 2008-2013, the first-ever to be signed jointly by WHO and the Chinese government.