Ma Xiaowei, minister of China's National Health Commission (NHC), participates in the fifth meeting of ministers of health of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members via video link on June 8, 2022. [Photo/nhc.gov.cn]

The fifth meeting of ministers of health of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members was held both online and offline on June 8. The health minister of Uzbekistan, which holds the rotating presidency, chaired the meeting. Ministers of health of SCO member countries attended the meeting.

Ma Xiaowei, minister of China's National Health Commission (NHC), delivered a video speech at the meeting. He reviewed and spoke highly of the progress made in the health cooperation among SCO member countries, stressing that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government has given top priority to people's lives and health, adhered to scientific and precise anti-virus approach, and made every effort to coordinate COVID-19 prevention and control with economic and social development. Meanwhile, China also supports global anti-pandemic collaboration by sending medical expert teams and providing vaccines, he noted.

China calls on all SCO members to further deepen anti-pandemic cooperation, jointly expand high-quality medical services, strengthen inter-agency practical collaboration, promote the integration of traditional medicine into the modern health system, and make greater contributions to the construction of the SCO community of health for all, according to Ma.

Representatives at the meeting had in-depth exchanges on topics such as COVID-19 prevention and control, public health promotion, prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and telemedicine.

The attendees adopted a concept of telemedicine cooperation among SCO member countries, a roadmap for cooperation between medical institutions in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, and the minutes of the fifth meeting of ministers of health of SCO members.