China, US expected to agree on health programs

China and the United States are expected to reach agreements in a number of major health cooperation programs between the two countries during two key meetings being held in Beijing, according to China's top health authority.

The eighth round of the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue and the seventh annual China-US High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange, being held in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday, are key communication platforms between the two countries. Senior delegates, including ministerial-level government officials from the two countries, will attend.

The health cooperation agreements expected to be reached cover a wide range of areas, including health personnel exchange; fighting cancer and chronic diseases, such as breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases and health and medical research, according to documents provided by the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

In addition, the two countries will also discuss further strengthening cooperation to improve global health security, and enhance exchange and cooperation on health in Africa, and jointly support African countries to improve public health systems, according to the commission.

The following are some of the expected outcomes of the two dialogues:

1.The two sides will hold a US-China health dialogue during the China-US High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange to highlight ongoing US-China health cooperation and partnerships related to people to people exchange, and explore other potential collaboration.

2. Both sides will agree to continue to implement the 100 Hospital Senior Managers Visiting Program to further promote exchange and cooperation.

3. Both sides will agree to continue to implement and expand the 1,000 Young Health Professional Exchange Program to strengthen health personnel exchange, training and joint research.

4. The Goldman Sachs and All China Women's Federation will continue to promote breast cancer and cervical cancer awareness and enhance capacity at the provincial level this year, with support from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China and the US Department of Health and Human Services.

5. The Chinese Academy of Medical Science and the National Institutes of Health are seeking to expand areas of collaboration and one of the priorities is jointly supporting the establishment of China's National Clinical Center.

6. The United States and China will agree to continue strengthening dialogue and exchange in healthcare reform.