Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday called on countries across the world to put aside differences, be united and jointly build a global community of health for all. 

Wang made the remarks when delivering a speech at the International Forum on the 50th Anniversary of the Discovery of Artemisinin and on Building a Global Community of Health for All in Beijing.  

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Xi Jinping congratulates forum on 50th anniversary of malaria drug artemisinin

Monday marks the World Malaria Day. Artemisinin, an effective cure for malaria, was first discovered and extracted by a Chinese research team led by health expert Tu Youyou, a Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine. 

Wang said the discovery and extraction of artemisinin by the Chinese scientists 50 years ago led to a significant drop in the death rate of malaria patients. 

While eliminating malaria at home, China launched large-scale assistance to the global fight against malaria, he said. By the end of 2021, China had provided artemisinin drugs for the treatment of billions of patients worldwide, trained tens of thousands of technicians in malaria treatment for developing countries, built malaria treatment and prevention centers in 30 countries, and sent 28,000 medical staff to 72 developing countries, he noted. 

The Chinese people stood together with people in countries around the world in the fight against SARS and Ebola, Wang said. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has launched its largest-scale emergency humanitarian assistance mission. It has provided anti-epidemic supplies to 153 countries and 15 international organizations, and provided 2.2 billion vaccine doses to more than 120 countries and international organizations, he said.

Wang called for continuous efforts to eliminate malaria and other major infectious diseases and global solidarity to defeat COVID-19. He also called on the international community to improve the global health governance system. 

Senegalese President Macky Sall, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Comorian President Azali Assoumani, Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh and Deputy Director-General of the World Health Organization Zsuzsanna Jakab sent congratulatory video messages to the forum.

The forum was co-hosted by China International Development Cooperation Agency, the National Health Commission of China and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.