SW China's Guizhou lifts 1.24 mln out of poverty in 2019

Photo taken on Dec. 30, 2019 shows the Pingtang Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

Guizhou Province in southwest China completed the relocation of 1.88 million people from inhospitable areas as a key battle against poverty in 2019.

A total of 1.24 million rural residents in southwest China's Guizhou Province cast off poverty last year, lowering the poverty rate to 0.85 percent, the provincial government said Wednesday.

Statistics showed that the province also completed the relocation of 1.88 million people from inhospitable areas as a key battle against poverty in 2019.

Designer Zhang Zhaoda (C) from "Mom Handworks" talks with artisans at a poverty alleviation workshop in Taijiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 22, 2019. "Mom Handworks" is a public welfare project initiated by China Women's Development Foundation (CWDF) in September 2016. About 46 "Mom Handworks Cooperatives" have been established in 13 provinces nationwide. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

Guizhou has basically achieved the goal of eliminating dropouts from poverty-stricken families and completed the construction of village health clinics and the provision of qualified village doctors.

Meanwhile, almost all rural dilapidated houses were renovated, and over 2.88 million rural residents were ensured access to safe drinking water.