Premier Li urges joint efforts to boost global health

SHANGHAI -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called on developed and developing countries around the world to join forces to fight disease and handle health emergencies.

Li's remarks were made in Shanghai at the opening ceremony of the Ninth Global Conference on Health Promotion (GCHP), which began on Nov. 21 and will run until Thursday. The full text of Li's speech was released Wednesday.

While praising the achievements made in health worldwide over the 30 years since the first GCHP was held in Canada, Li warned that problems still exist, citing the imbalance of resources; aging and movement of people; as well as environmental and lifestyle changes.

"There is still a long way to go," Li said, suggesting that international cooperation would help achieve the goal.

Calling on all countries to strengthen policy dialogue, Li said medical governance cooperation platforms should be established, and all countries should support WHO leadership, coordination and implementation. Moreover, he said, legislation on health should be improved and supervision of investment and trade that threatens people's health should be strengthened.

Li stressed the principal of common but differentiated obligations to the wider health drive, which would encourage developed countries to take on more responsibilities while letting developing countries have more say.

Diseases and health emergencies can be better dealt with, Li said, if there is a global public health safety control system, in addition to better dialogue, information sharing and personnel training.

Li said the Chinese government would support the WHO in establishing a special team and fund for emergencies, and called on developed countries to increase support for developing countries.

The premier also called for joint efforts to push forward research and development in the health sector.

In addition, Li vowed to give priority to health in China's development, with preferential policies and more financial aid.

According to Li, more health resources will go to the lower-levels of society, in China this would mean closing the gap between rural,impoverished regions with urban areas.

More than 1,200 representatives including leading politicians from 126 countries and regions as well as 19 international organizations participate in the conference organized by China and the WHO.

The conference is a platform for the WHO and member states to discuss important global health issues and set an agenda for promoting health worldwide.