China-US health cooperation expected to grow

Cooperation on health issues between China and the United States has become a key part of collaboration between the two countries, and more extensive and intensive bilateral support and exchanges are expected, an official at China's top health authority said.

"The two governments have paid great importance to cooperation in health in recent years," Nie Jiangang, deputy chief of the International Cooperation Department of China's National Health and Family Planning Commission, said at an event on bilateral cooperation on Wednesday.

The event, US-China Patient Day 2017, focused on chronic disease management. It was jointly hosted by the US Embassy in China, Chinese Hospital Association, the US-China Healthcare Cooperation Program and Beijing United Family Hospital.

It was attended by more than 200 representatives from China and the US, including government officials, hospital presidents, doctors, patients and company executives.

"China and the US have been cooperating closely in health policies, clinical medicine, personnel exchanges, public health and other fields in recent years, and yielded effective results," Nie said.

Last year, government departments from both countries signed cooperative agreements to help Africa build its center for disease prevention and control, to help the continent better fight infectious diseases, he said.

In addition to Ebola control and prevention, the two countries have been cooperating in the fight against other infectious diseases, such as AIDS, he said.

The Chinese government also has intensified personnel exchanges with the US in the past several years, and more hospital presidents and medical staff are being sent to the US for training, Nie said.

"We expect to have more intensified health cooperation and exchanges with the US this year to promote the health of the two peoples and contribute to global health," he said.

David Rank, charge d'affaires at the US Embassy in China, said health has been a key part of bilateral cooperation and tangible results have been achieved.

US and China can work together to fight common health challenges facing the two countries, such as increasing health burdens caused by chronic diseases, he said.

Roberta Lipson, CEO of United Family Healthcare, called for the public to have a better knowledge of chronic disease and pay more importance to prevention and consistent lifetime management of diseases.

Beijing United Family Hospital has been applying US medical modes in China since its establishment in 1997 to help more patients with chronic diseases, such as those with cancer, continue to enjoy life and play social roles, she said.