China has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening health systems across Africa through expanded partnerships, capacity building initiatives, and epidemic response support, aimed at improving resilience against future public health emergencies continent-wide.
This was disclosed by Prof. George Fu Gao, guest lecturer and former Director of China CDC, during his keynote at a Nigeria-China health security dialogue on pandemic preparedness Monday in Abuja.
Gao said the commitment followed outcomes of the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which prioritised health collaboration under its “Partnership Action for Health” framework for sustainable development across African countries.
According to him, China plans to establish hospital alliances and joint medical centres across Africa, deploy 2,000 medical personnel, and implement 20 programmes targeting health infrastructure and malaria treatment initiatives.
“We will continue to support Africa in epidemic response and strengthen cooperation in pharmaceutical production and public health systems,” he said, reaffirming China’s commitment to strengthening Africa’s health resilience capacity.
He emphasised that China also supported development of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to enhance health security systems and coordinated responses to disease outbreaks across the continent.
The expert highlighted China’s approach to pandemic preparedness, which included strong surveillance systems covering all life stages, integrating disease monitoring, immunisation programmes, and emergency response mechanisms within national public health frameworks.
He said that China’s public health strategy, built over decades, significantly improved life expectancy from 35 years in 1949 to 79 years in 2024 nationwide.
He attributed the progress to sustained investments in science-driven infrastructure development, workforce training, and the expansion of a nationwide public health workforce supporting prevention, surveillance, and response systems.
He cited achievements in controlling major diseases, including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, and measles, noting that targeted interventions and vaccination programmes had significantly reduced disease burden across populations.
According to him, China has reduced hepatitis B prevalence among children under five to 0.32 per cent, a feat widely recognised globally as a major public health milestone.
He added that measles cases had declined significantly in recent years, while surveillance systems enabled early detection and rapid response to emerging infectious diseases across different regions.
He highlighted China’s long-standing engagement in Africa, including frontline support during the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, where Chinese teams supported laboratory establishment, personnel training, and emergency health response systems.
He also referenced ongoing collaborations with countries such as Nigeria, including partnerships with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research and joint efforts supporting response to Mpox outbreaks.
“Capacity building and local training remain critical to strengthening Africa’s preparedness for future pandemics,” he said, stressing the importance of sustained investments in human resources for health systems.
He stressed the need for deeper international collaboration, noting that global health security depended on shared knowledge, coordinated systems, and sustained investment by countries and development partners worldwide.
He urged African countries to leverage partnerships to build resilient health systems capable of detecting, preventing, and responding effectively to outbreaks in real time across communities.
Supreme news reports that the session ended with interactive discussions, where participants examined practical ways of applying China’s public health strategies to strengthen preparedness and health system resilience in Nigeria.
Supreme news reports that earlier, Amb. Yu Dunhai of the People’s Republic of China to Nigeria highlighted challenges facing global public health, particularly persistent threats posed by infectious diseases worldwide.
Dunhai emphasised the complexity and seriousness of pandemic threats, noting the increasing rise of virus mutations and risks associated with cross-border transmission affecting countries across different regions globally.
He said that the international public health sector remained under strain, with many countries facing challenges in strengthening health systems and responding effectively to emerging and re-emerging disease threats.
He emphasised the importance of cooperation between China and Nigeria in addressing those challenges, noting that strengthened bilateral collaboration remained critical for improving health security outcomes in both countries.
He also expressed hope for the success of ongoing collaboration, highlighting strong potential for enhanced joint action in addressing global health challenges and improving pandemic preparedness across regions.