China actively participates in global health governance: white paper

BEIJING - China has actively participated in global health governance and international medical assistance, according to a white paper published Friday by the State Council Information Office.

China is firmly committed to realizing the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially sustainable development goals relating to health, it said.

China actively provides medical aid to other countries, and promptly conducts global emergency responses. It earnestly implements international health conventions and shoulders its international humanitarian responsibilities, the white paper said.

According to the white paper, China was one of the first countries in the world to sign and approve the Constitution of the World Health Organization. It has joined the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.

The white paper also noted China's in-depth cooperation with the WHO. In 2016, the China-WHO Country Cooperation Strategy (2016-2020) was signed in Beijing, defining cooperation in health policies, planning, technology and human resources. In 2017, the Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road Health Cooperation Mechanism and the Implementation Plan on the Belt and Road Health Cooperation Mechanism were signed to promote cooperation in health emergency response, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, and traditional medicine between countries along the Belt and Road.

It said that China has made outstanding achievements in international medical and health assistance. Since 1963, China has sent teams totaling 25,000 medical workers to 69 developing countries. They have diagnosed and treated a total of 280 million cases.

China has met the requirements for implementing the International Health Regulations. It has been playing an active and leading role in international emergency rescue, and has participated in the fight against epidemics, including yellow fever and Zika virus disease in Angola and Guyana.