To the Shanghai Bureau, the committees of all cooperative zones, the provincial, municipal, and autonomous regional party committees, and to all central-level departments and party leading groups: In the past two years, health work has been somewhat neglected due to our preoccupation with the Great Leap Forward in production.
It is now imperative to promptly make arrangements, summarize experiences, and conduct inspections, competitions, and evaluations.
On February 2 of this year, the Central Committee approved the Party Group of the Ministry of Public Health’s “Report on the National Health Work Field Conference Held in Jishan County, Shanxi Province” [2] together with its annex, “Opinions on Several Issues Concerning Health Work in People’s Communes” [3], and these documents were forwarded to you long ago.
However, our investigation reveals that they have not received the attention they deserve. In most provinces, municipalities, and regions, the first secretaries of the party committees have neither read this highly important and well-written document nor transmitted it to party committees and party leading groups at all levels or to the people’s communes.
The Central Committee hereby reminds all comrades to attach great importance to this matter, to reinvigorate the Patriotic Health Campaign, which had been allowed to lapse over the past two years, and to achieve tangible results within the three-year period from 1960 to 1962, beginning with this year’s campaign.
The course of action is as follows: Within March of this year, and no later than early April, party committee meetings and party leading group meetings at the provincial, municipal, prefectural, county, and commune levels—attended by heads of health authorities and mass organizations—should hold a thorough discussion under the leadership of the first secretary of the party committee. Specialized secretaries of party committees at all levels and secretaries of the party leading groups of relevant departments should also take charge under the direction of the first secretary. The documents endorsed by the Central Committee on February 2 are to be immediately disseminated down to the level of the people’s communes. Provincial, municipal, and regional party committees should promptly issue their own directives to reestablish the organizational structure and operations of the Patriotic Health Campaign committees, mobilize the masses, coordinate with the production drive, and launch a large-scale health campaign. Elderly persons, children, youth, able-bodied adults, teachers, students, men, and women alike should, to the greatest extent possible, take up fly swatters and other tools, carry out vigorous and high-profile activities, intensify publicity, and vigorously eradicate the “Four Pests.” All health and medical personnel are urged to rally together with the party committees and the masses in a tripartite collaboration, demonstrate their capabilities, and criticize rightist tendencies.
Furthermore, we should cease hunting sparrows and instead target bedbugs; the slogan should be “Eradicate rats, bedbugs, flies, and mosquitoes.”
As for other serious diseases, they must, of course, be eliminated or reduced according to plan.
The work of local pest-control and disease-prevention committees must be closely supervised and rigorously inspected by party committees at all levels.
Environmental hygiene is of paramount importance. It is essential to cultivate hygienic habits among residents, making cleanliness a source of pride and uncleanliness a mark of shame.
Wherever feasible, we should encourage participation in gymnastics, ball games, running, mountain climbing, swimming, tai chi, and various other sports.
It is incorrect to regard health work as an isolated endeavor.
Its significance lies in the fact that it promotes production, facilitates work and study, contributes to the physical rehabilitation of our people, strengthens their constitutions, and maintains a clean environment—thereby integrating harmoniously with the Great Leap Forward in production and the Cultural and Technological Revolutions.
Unfortunately, many people still fail to grasp the transformative and civilizing implications of this effort. Therefore, we must launch a vigorous publicity campaign so that the message reaches every household and every individual, inspiring widespread action.
There is nothing insurmountable about accomplishing this task; success depends on human initiative. We must strive to achieve substantial progress within three years, beginning with a resounding campaign this year.
To this end, party committees at all levels, the party leading groups of health authorities, trade unions, the Communist Youth League, and the Women’s Federation are required to convene four meetings on health work throughout the current year—once per quarter—for approximately three to four hours each time; longer sessions are unnecessary. This practice is to be continued annually thereafter.
The Patriotic Health Campaign committees are likewise to meet four times a year, once per quarter, immediately following the aforementioned party committee and party leading group meetings, and this schedule is to be maintained year after year.
All comrades are requested to comply without delay.
Printed on March 18, 1960, based on a document of the CPC Central Committee.
Notes: [1] This is an internal directive drafted by Mao Zedong on behalf of the CPC Central Committee.  [2] The report submitted by the Party Group of the Ministry of Public Health was originally presented to the CPC Central Committee’s Cultural and Educational Leading Group on December 16, 1959, and then forwarded to the Central Committee. The report states that the conference addressed the following issues: First, it further clarified the principle that health work must originate from, support, and serve production. Second, it emphasized the need to strengthen health efforts in the people’s communes and to continue carrying out extensive and in-depth campaigns to control pests and prevent diseases. Third, it called for the active development and enhancement of rural health organizations and personnel.  [3] The main points raised in the annex to the Ministry of Public Health’s report include: First, establishing and improving medical and health care organizations is essential for effective health work in the people’s communes. Second, the nature and functions of commune health centers and clinics should be clearly defined. Third, closer unity and cooperation between traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and Western-trained physicians are needed. Fourth, given the current circumstances, it is advisable to implement a system of collective health care and medical services for members of the people’s communes, along with appropriate financial management of health institutions. Fifth, the policy of “walking on two legs” should be fully implemented to intensify the training of rural health workers.