Peng Jun, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body, and also vice-president of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, brought forward proposals focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases during this year's two sessions.

There are nearly 10,000 types of rare diseases worldwide, with 80 percent of them being genetic and almost half affecting children, according to experts. In China, about 20 million people live with rare diseases, and 200,000 people are diagnosed each year.

Rare diseases are difficult to diagnose, treat and study, which is a worldwide medical problem. Most of those suffering from rare diseases in China must go to hospitals in areas with sufficient medical resources for diagnosis, said Peng.

He suggested establishing rare disease medical centers to advance research into diseases, train more medical professionals and strengthen the diagnosis and treatment capabilities in these fields. The centers would also reduce the need for the referral of patients and reduce cross-regional medical visits.

A "green channel" for the admission of drugs for the treatment of rare diseases should be established in hospitals to simplify the admission process, Peng said.

He also suggested incorporating the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases into the assessment and evaluation system in hospitals, which will urge hospitals to prioritize the professional development of rare disease disciplines.