Gov't to Monitor Health Effects of Air Pollution in 16 Places

(Beijing) – Health officials unveiled a plan on October 28 to monitor how air pollution impairs people's health in 16 provinces and municipalities.

The plan is the first official survey on the health impacts of air pollution in China. It is to start in October.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission pledged to expand the monitoring to cover the whole country in three to five years. Heavily polluted Beijing and Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei and Shandong are on the list.