In China, Great Urbanization Brings Great Health Risks

To use any word weaker than explosive when describing China's rapid process of urbanization is to risk an understatement. Since 1980 the number of people in Chinese cities has surged from 191 million to 622 million. The number continues to climb rapidly — especially as certain areas once considered countryside are converted into urban regions to accommodate growth:

Much of this urban influx is the result of the migration of rural workers into cities. That's a particular problem in China because, as our Nate Berg recently pointed out, the country has a "two-tiered population structure of rural and urban citizens" called hukou. While urban hukou get a number of social benefits, including access to good health care, simply moving from a farm to a city doesn't necessarily change your classification.