Ma Xiaowei, head of China's National Health Commission (NHC), attended the third Health Ministers' Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video links and delivered a speech on July 24. 

The meeting, chaired by the Russian health minister, included representatives from SCO member states, heads of health departments from some of the observer states and delegates of international organizations like the SCO Secretariat and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Ma said that under nationwide efforts transmission of the indigenous cases in China has been basically blocked, and the production and life order has been quickly resumed. He introduced China's experience in combating COVID-19 and the progress in international cooperation and called on all parties to continue to support the WHO in playing a leading and coordinating role. 

Ma stressed that more efforts should be made to actively carry out international cooperation on joint prevention and control against the epidemic and to strengthen cooperation between agencies of different countries, which should work together to cope with the challenges of the virus. Ma also proposed making joint efforts to build the Health Silk Road and a global public health community.

Participants of the meeting called on solidarity and cooperation to overcome the epidemic as soon as possible.

The meeting adopted the SCO member states' overview of effective measures to deal with COVID-19 transmission as a declaration at its conclusion.