This December issue of The Lancet Public Health is again dedicated to public health
in China. China hosts a fifth of the world s population the state and fate of public
health in China are important for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
and to the health of populations outside China, as COVID-19 proved. While for many
2022 marked an exit from the COVID-19 pandemic mitigations and interventions, for
millions in China this year has remained associated with strict lockdowns. The sustained
zero-COVID strategy in which the country has embarked comes with a cost, and questions,
that cannot be disregarded.