African and Chinese health ministers have outlined new efforts to support Africa’s long-term health progress and shape the future of China-Africa health cooperation at the first-ever Ministerial Forum on China-Africa Health Development on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing.
The China-Africa Forum for the Development of Health, Beijing 2013, marked the 50th anniversary of China sending medical teams to African countries. The first team was sent to Algeria in 1963.
Health Ministers at the forum addressed key health challenges across Africa, including malaria, schistosomiasis, HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, immunization and vaccine preventable diseases – with a view of finding sustainable solutions to these health challenges.
Ministers present at the forum including key global health stakeholders launched the Beijing Declaration of the Ministerial Forum on China-Africa Health Development, which sets a roadmap for jointly addressing key health challenges across Africa.
The Beijing Declaration supports that health is an important element in social development. It states that priority should be placed on areas of human resources, promotion of exchange of experiences and co-operation involving the various academic and research institutions, as well as the granting of scholarships.
“The governments should increase the budgets for the health sector, for its sustainable development aimed at a quick materialisation of the Millennium Development Goals,” it reads.
Under the Declaration, China and African countries will embark on new efforts to achieve sustainable, long-term health solutions, such as increasing partnerships on joint research and addressing the shortage of healthcare workers. They will engage further with private enterprise to encourage technology transfer and increase access to low-cost health technologies that meet high quality standards.
China and African countries will work closely with key global health stakeholders to support China-Africa health cooperation, including multilateral organizations, international NGOs and civil society organizations.
