Much of Chinas health care success took place between 1950 and 1980, when the government established a three-level system of village clinics, township health centres and county hospitals in rural areas and health centres and district hospitals in urban areas. Since the 1980s, however, the health sector has been driven by a fee-for-service model. As a result, while Chinas overall health status has continued to improve, disparities have grown between the eastern and western provinces and between rural and urban areas. In many parts of the country quality health care has become unaffordable for the poor.