The concept of “building a shared community of health for all” was officially proposed at the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. China Center for Health Development Studies, Peking University, together with other schools, have taken on a major research project of National Social Science Fund on this subject. The Institute of Area Studies of Peking University and China Center for Health Development Studies, Peking University, jointly organized this workshop, which consists of a series of seminars on this topic. Africa has been a key area for China to promote the work of building a shared community of health for all. Sierra Leone is particularly representative in this regard as China’s medical teams, China’s public health teams and military medical teams from China all gather there.
This workshop focuses on the progress, challenges, and future directions of building a China–Africa health community by examining health cooperation practices between the two, especially those between China and Sierra Leone. The workshop invited more than ten experts and scholars from the Ministry of Commerce, National Health Commission, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Foundation for International Studies, Peking University, Gannan Normal University, Central South University, and Chinese PLA General Hospital, among others. They discussed the overall situation of China–Africa health cooperation and the efforts China has made in Sierra Leone. Conclusions are as follows.
First of all, medical and health aid programs to Africa are significant. China has always regarded African countries as equal entities and has contributed to the hygienic security of African countries and its people in times of need. We have cultivated a team of local professionals, carried forward our concern for our fellow human beings, and spread the concept of medical technology and equal relationship between doctor and patient. We have also strengthened the national hygienic security by “preventing the virus from entering China.”
Second, China’s health aid to Africa has continued to develop over the decades. We are increasingly focusing on public health aid and significant special department services. We have continuously improved our organizational system for aid to Africa and explored various cooperation mechanisms.
Third, China–Africa health cooperation needs to meet the challenge of the heavy disease burden and complex health systems in African countries. The situation of widespread infectious diseases and poor mother–child health is still grim, and chronic diseases are increasingly common. African health systems are not only severely lacking in manpower, materials, facilities, and technologies and are not well managed, but also fragmented in health governance due to their colonial history and dependence on foreign aid.
In the end, focusing on building a shared community of health for all, the participants made the following suggestions. The first was to start from the strategic level, set a clear position, support the health development of African countries from the system level and provide technical aid in response to significant demands based on China’s experience. The second was to improve the international health cooperation management system to make it more professional and coordinated, leverage the role of local governments and enterprises, and strengthen the evaluation of its effects. The third was to conduct in-depth research on national health systems and cooperation.
