China seeks stronger cooperation in global health equity efforts

China will deepen its participation in global health governance, including strengthening cooperation with other nations in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, so as to advance the development of a healthy global community, a senior health official said on Saturday.

Cao Xuetao, vice-minister of the National Health Commission, said during a forum that China has successfully made efficient use of its resources to improve the health of its people, as the average life expectancy in the nation has reached 78.2 years and key health gauges for the country have surpassed the average levels of more developed countries.

He spoke at the opening ceremony of the 2nd World Health Forum, which was held at Tsinghua University in Beijing on Nov 19 and 20. It was organized by the university and co-hosted by the Tsinghua Vanke School of Public Health and the Tsinghua Institute for Healthy China.

The forum was themed "Towards Health Equity, Together for a Shared Future".

Cao said that realizing global health equity requires common wisdom and efforts from the international community. Information exchanges and experience sharing between countries should also be improved.

Bill Gates, co-chair and trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said during the event that stepping up vaccine production capacity, ensuring equal and prompt vaccine access and ramping up disease surveillance, especially in low- and middle-income countries, are some of the keys to making COVID-19 the last global pandemic.

He has also recognized China's leadership in responding to major global public health issues and its rich experiences in eradicating poverty.

Margaret Chan, chairperson of the forum and founding dean of the Tsinghua Vanke School of Public Health, said that achieving health equity is a long, complex objective.

To achieve it, she called for implementing a fair, people-centered development policy, uniting political, economic and social efforts, mobilizing the power of science and technology and reinforcing global solidarity.