China launched an advocacy week for elderly health on Monday in a bid to improve the health literacy and level of its senior citizens.

The national event will be held annually, Wang Haidong, director of the National Health Commission's Department of Ageing and Health, said at a press conference Monday.

Themed "knowing health knowledge and being a healthy senior citizen," this year's events focus on publicizing health service policies and health knowledge among the elderly, aiming to create a favorable social environment for their healthy life.

China's elderly healthcare system faces severe challenges due to its fast-growing elderly population. At the end of 2018, China had a population of 249 million aged 60 or above, making up 17.9 percent of the total population.