Cui Li visits northern Europe

Source: en.nhfpc.gov.cn

Updated: 2015-10-28

When Cui Li, a vice-minister at China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission, paid a visit to Switzerland and Denmark, Oct 18 – 25, at the invitation of the Swiss internal affairs Ministry and Danish Health Ministry, she met with Margaret Chan, director-general of the WHO, and Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, its deputy director-general in Switzerland.

At that meeting Cui said that China appreciated WHO’s role in the fight against Ebola in West Africa and earthquake rescue work in the Nepali earthquake and that, “China is willing to support WHO in setting up a global health emergency team with Chinese medical teams got global emergencies.”

Chan expressed her gratitude for the Chinese government’s $2-million donation to the WHO emergency fund and its support for the emergency rescue team set-up and said she hopes China can share its experience and play a role in global health emergency matters. In a meeting with Oleg Chestnov, asst director-general of WHO, Cui said that China is ready to cooperate with WHO in preparing for the 9th Global Health Promotion Conference, in Shanghai, in 2016, to which Chestnov replied that the conference will show China’s characteristics and they agreed to hold a mayoral forum of healthy cities to further promote global health ideas.

Cui also met with Pascal Strupler, director general of the Swiss internal affairs Ministry’s health bureau, where she praised Sino-Swiss relations and health cooperation and described China’s experience in controlling tobacco use and fighting against Ebola. The two parties also had exchanges on drug pricing, health promotion, and global health emergencies and reached a consensus on hospital cooperation, global health, and global health emergency responses.

 In Denmark, Cui Li met with Sophie Lobde, from its ministry of health and aging, and Per Okkels, its general secretary, where the two parties discussed health promotion, medical payment reforms and an aging population.

Accompanying Cui on her visit were officials from the Commission’s international cooperation, finance, and communications depts, and its general office.