A national survey of occupational diseases will be conducted among migrant workers this year as part of a pledge to improve the health of the country's 200 million transient labourers.
Su Zhi, a deputy director of the Ministry of Health's supervision division, said the pilot scheme would cover 20 counties in 10 provinces, offering basic occupational health care to migrant workers.
State statistics show the mainland has 120 million migrant workers and 80 million farmers working in local enterprises in rural areas.
Mr Su said most migrant workers in cities and workers in rural enterprises were employed in dangerous jobs, but had no medical insurance and little awareness of safety issues, making them a high-risk group for occupational diseases.
'Farmers who move from rural areas to work in cities are more likely to have occupational diseases. They are the focus of our protection,' he said.
The ministry said that last year it received reports of 9,173 cases of pneumoconiosis, a chronic condition known as black lung caused by long-term inhalation of dust. It accounted for 75 per cent of all occupational diseases reported in 2005.