China, Africa Explore Opportunities for Collaboration on Health Care for All
BEIJING, China, March 27, 2015
More than 350 health leaders
from China and Africa — including government officials, academics, and
representatives from the private sector and international organizations —
convened in Beijing this week at the 5th International Roundtable on
China-Africa Health Collaboration. The meeting explored how Chinese and
African resources and experiences can be leveraged to mutually support
greater health development.
Meeting
participants officially published the Beijing Policy Recommendations, a
document outlining how intercontinental cooperation can be strengthened
to drive sustainable impact, with a focus on the theme, “Contributing
to Universal Health Coverage, Expanding Access to Essential Medicines.”
Drawing
on decades of joint health efforts, the Policy Recommendations called
for deepened dialogue between Chinese, African and international
stakeholders, increased investments in health, and alignment with
African regional and national strategies. The Recommendations emphasized
commitments to a variety of issues including universal health coverage
(UHC) and access to safe, high-quality drugs and vaccines, as well as
the need for improved government accountability through better
monitoring and evaluation.
“China
and Africa have a long history of health cooperation going back more
than 50 years. Our partnership with Africa is focused on mutually
beneficial collaboration that meets the needs of African countries while
also contributing to China’s health and development,” said Dr. Ren
Minghui, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation
at China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC).
“China has a unique role to play in supporting Africa’s health progress,
thanks to our advances in R&D and production of high-quality,
low-cost medicines and vaccines. These lifesaving innovations have
tremendous opportunity to make a positive impact in the developing
world.”
The
Roundtable comes at a crucial time, as China develops its integrated
strategy toward other developing countries for the next 5-10 years. The
meeting provides a platform for high-level consultation between China
and Africa on specific health priorities of mutual interest.
China-Africa collaboration on health is an important complement to
investments made by African governments and aid from traditional donors,
and reflects growing South-South cooperation in a number of sectors.
“More
than ever before, African countries and China have the opportunity to
work together on issues ranging from infectious disease control to
strong, sustainable health systems,” said H.E. Dr. Mustapha Sidiki
Kaloko, Commissioner of Social Affairs of the African Union. “As we
build on progress made across the continent and work to achieve our
post-2015 health goals, international cooperation with countries like
China can amplify investments being made by African countries for
greater impact.”
Building
on commitments made by China and African governments in the 2013
Beijing Declaration, the Roundtable focused new attention on exploring
effective tactics to achieve universal health coverage, and ensuring
that all people are able to obtain the health services they need without
falling into poverty. Participants reflected on innovative policies for
UHC in several African countries, as well as China’s domestic health
reform, and explored new paths for making universal coverage a reality.
Meeting
participants also discussed a cross-section of other issues in which
China and African cooperation have unique potential to make an impact.
For example, presentations focused on increasing access to health
commodities, including through public-private joint ventures and
technology transfer agreements. A special session was also held on
immunization, recognizing China’s growing role as a worldwide supplier
of vaccines and its recent $5 million USD commitment to Gavi, the
vaccine alliance. The Ebola outbreak provided context for conversations
on health systems and building African health capacity. China provided
$120 million USD in Ebola aid and deployed nearly 1,000 medical workers
to affected areas.
“China
has the experience and capacity to be a key partner in African efforts
to expand health access and provide life-saving medicines and vaccines
to those in need,” said Mark Suzman, President of Global Policy,
Advocacy, and Country Programs for the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation. “We’re excited to be working closely with China and African
countries to identify and invest in health and development solutions
that have the potential to improve the lives of millions of people. The
Roundtable is an important part of our ongoing efforts to identify
shared priorities for collaboration, ensuring that all partners’ needs
and capacities are reflected in future policies.”
The
Roundtable and the Policy Recommendations will lay the groundwork for
the Ministerial Forum of China-Africa Health Development, part of the
Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), to be held later this year.
“This
meeting is an opportunity for us to share expertise, discuss new forms
of cooperation and chart a common course forward. The policy
recommendations released today will inform upcoming conversations
between health ministers and will help shape the future of China and
African countries’ bilateral engagement on health,” said Professor Cheng
Feng from the Tsinghua University Research Center for Public Health,
who is the co-chair of the Roundtable.
The
Roundtable is co-hosted by the Tsinghua University Research Center for
Public Health and the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of
Medicines and Health Products (CCCMHPIE) under the Ministry of Commerce
(MOFCOM).
Planning
of the meeting was run by a Task Force that included representation
from NHFPC, MOFCOM, the China Alliance for South-South Health
Cooperation Research, the Ethiopian and South African Embassies in
Beijing, the World Health Organization (WHO), U.N. Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), Joint U.N. Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), U.N. Population
Fund (UNFPA), U.N. Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), U.K.
Department for International Development (DFID), U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation.
Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Global Health Strategies (GHS).
