Li says global effort to boost healthcare will continue

Premier Li Keqiang pledged on Monday that China will continue its participation in a global campaign for health promotion and provide healthcare aid to other developing countries.

China has endorsed and promoted global cooperation in health and met its international responsibilities, the premier said during his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Ninth Global Conference on Health Promotion in Shanghai.

The conference, co-organized by the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the World Health Organization, included more than 1,200 participants from 126 countries and regions. It is held every four years to improve health and equality among people around the world.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first such conference, at which the Ottawa Charter, which calls for peace, shelter, education, a sustainable ecosystem and social equality to enhance health, was passed.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan Fung Fuchun said health promotion requires participation by all countries and all departments.

Premier Li said that over more than five decades, China has sent more than 20,000 medical workers to 67 countries and regions. As a result, more than 260 million people around the world have received medical treatment, he added.

After the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, China quickly sent more than 1,200 medical workers and public health experts to fight the virus in the region, contributing to the efforts that have overcome the epidemic, Li said.

"We will continue to actively participate in global health promotion and provide help to other developing countries within our capacity," he added.

The premier also called on other countries to coordinate their management of emergencies in coping with public health challenges, and to improve mechanisms for global disease monitoring, warning and emergency responses.

"The Chinese government supports the WHO to set up teams and funds for emergencies, and it calls on developed economies to enhance their support to developing countries," Li added.

China has contributed much to global health promotion by sending doctors and nurses overseas, especially to Africa and other less-developed regions, said Liu Zhenghong, a professor of foreign aid at Anhui Normal University.