China has long been actively involved in global health affairs, carrying out a wide range of multilateral and bilateral cooperation and exchanges in the field of health at the intergovernmental and civil levels, and actively taking part in major health initiatives advocated by the international community and international organizations. It attaches great importance to international assistance in health, and has provided many developing countries with assistance in building hospitals, training health personnel, and carrying out disease prevention and control, thus playing a great role in the development of medical and health care in the recipient countries.
Supporting the work of the World Health Organization and other international organizations. China actively participates in the discussion of global health issues and shares its experience. in the 1970s, China summarized and contributed its practical experience in health, and played an important role in promoting the implementation of the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration on primary health care. In recent years, under the framework of the International Health Regulations (2005), it has maintained timely, close and unimpeded contact with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other countries, contributing to global disease prevention and control. The Chinese Government makes annual contributions to international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It strongly supports the work of the international community in technical areas such as chronic diseases, human avian influenza, tobacco control and emergency response.
Strengthening regional health cooperation Since 2003, the process of regional health cooperation has been accelerated, starting with China-ASEAN cooperation in the field of infectious disease prevention and control. At present, China has carried out health cooperation and international assistance with neighboring countries and the region under seven regional cooperation mechanisms, including the Greater Mekong Subregion, Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation, China-ASEAN, ASEAN and China-Japan-Republic of Korea, China-Japan-Republic of Korea, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Since 2005, China has cooperated with Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos to carry out joint prevention and control programs for malaria and AIDS in border areas, as well as cross-border cooperation programs for tuberculosis and dengue fever prevention and control.
Sending foreign medical aid teams. As of 2011, the Chinese government has sent medical teams to 73 countries. At present, 56 medical teams are located in 53 countries, including Algeria, Tanzania, Morocco and Zimbabwe, providing free medical services to the local people, especially those in poor areas, and introducing a large number of advanced medical technologies to the recipient countries.Over the past 50 years, China's foreign-aided medical teams have provided medical treatment to about 260 million patients. The work of the medical teams has been highly praised by the local people and fully affirmed by the governments of the recipient countries, and so far about 900 Chinese medical team members have been awarded medals and other honors by the recipient countries. During this period, 50 Chinese medical aid workers have sacrificed their lives in foreign countries.
Aid in building medical institutions. Since 1970, China has supported developing countries in Africa and other regions in building medical institutions, and is committed to improving the conditions of medical facilities in recipient countries. By the end of 2011, China*** had helped 52 countries build 100 hospitals and medical centers, making a positive contribution to solving the local people's difficulties in seeking medical treatment. China has provided large quantities of complete sets of medical equipment and medicines to the hospitals it has assisted in building; in 2011 alone, China provided 34 batches of medical equipment and medicines. As of November 2011, there were still 31 aid projects under construction in 28 countries.
Training human resources for health. China's foreign-aided medical teams have passed on medical skills to local medical personnel through lectures, seminars and trainings to improve the level of health technology in recipient countries. The Chinese government supports health technology institutions to organize health technology workshops and training in Huawei for developing countries. As of 2011,*** more than 400 training courses have been held, training more than 15,000 people in health management, emergency relief management, food hygiene, traditional medicine, infectious disease prevention and control, laboratory testing, sanitary quarantine, and nursing technology. To help developing countries cultivate high-level medical and health talents, the Chinese government also provides government scholarships to students from developing countries studying medicine and Chinese medicine in China.
International Emergency Relief: In 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami caused heavy casualties in Southeast Asia and South Asia, and China promptly dispatched health rescue teams to Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, and donated medical instruments, equipment, and U.S. dollars through the World Health Organization (WHO) to the affected countries. Over the past five years, the Chinese Government has carried out nearly 200 health emergency rescue missions, including sending health rescue teams and providing emergency assistance in the form of materials or cash remittances to Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Pakistan, Indonesia and Haiti, where epidemics and natural disasters have occurred. China has also sent rescue teams to Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other international peacekeeping missions to implement humanitarian medical assistance, and dispatched the Peace Ark hospital ship to five countries in Asia and Africa, and four countries in Latin America to carry out medical service tours.