China aims to deepen global cooperation at 77th World Health Assembly

The Chinese delegation to the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA), which is scheduled to start on Monday in Geneva, has vowed to deepen cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other nations in order to play an active role in addressing issues addressing global health governance and cooperation issues.

The WHA is the main decision-making body of the WHO and comprises 194 member states. Every year, generally in May, delegates from all member states come together to agree on the organization's priorities and policies. The theme of this year's WHA is: All for Health, Health for All. 

At a media briefing on Saturday, Cao Xuetao, deputy director of China's National Health Commission (NHC), who will lead the delegation to the WHA, stressed China's proactive role in international health organizations and regional cooperation, sharing valuable experiences with the global community.

"China is committed to strengthening exchanges and cooperation in the health sector with the WHO and various countries, continuously promoting the construction of a global community of health for all," he said.

Commitment to global health

Cao highlighted China's longstanding dedication to fostering a global community of health for all, which he said manifests in its participation within international organizations and regional health collaborations, where it readily shares its experiences and expertise.

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, China demonstrated its commitment by promptly reporting epidemic information nearly 3,000 times to the international community, including the WHO, relevant countries and regional organizations, Cao said. China also shared numerous technical documents on epidemic prevention, control and treatment plans with over 160 countries and more than 10 international and regional organizations, he noted.

In addition, China conducted nearly 300 expert discussions or remote meetings, dispatched 38 anti-epidemic expert teams to 34 countries affected by the pandemic, and guided Chinese medical teams stationed in over 50 countries to assist in the epidemic prevention and control efforts of their host nations, Cao added.

Prioritizing public health

NHC spokesperson Mi Feng highlighted the government's strategic focus on public health and the active pursuit of universal health coverage during Saturday's press briefing. This commitment is backed by China's establishment of the world's largest healthcare service and medical security systems, he said.

The spokesperson noted that China has established the world's largest healthcare service system as well as the world's largest medical security system in the world, participates in the global health governance, and sends medical teams to developing countries, taking concrete actions to promote universal health in these countries. 

Mi also highlighted the Healthy China Initiative, which aims to enhance China's public health under an innovative public policy framework by 2030, and efforts towards achieving universal health coverage.

The members of the Chinese delegation at the WHA plan to engage in technical discussions and consultations, bringing their expertise to bear on two crucial international documents they've already been deeply involved in preparing: the "Pandemic Agreement," designed to improve global response to future pandemics, and the revision of the International Health Regulations (2005), which aims to strengthen global health security through updated cooperation protocols.