ADDIS ABABA, July 27 (Xinhua) -- China and Africa launched collaborative medical partnership initiatives here on Monday, aimed at modernizing continental public health services, as part of the deepening Sino-African practical public health cooperation frameworks.
Jointly organized by China's Central South University's Xiangya Hospital, Addis Ababa Silk Road General Hospital, and China-Africa Hospital Alliance, the event marked the launch of the China-Africa Partnership Program for Minimally Invasive Medicine, alongside the inauguration of the China-Africa Robotic Surgery Training Center and the China-Africa Endoscopic Technology Training Center.
The event, held at the Silk Road General Hospital in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, brought together senior Ethiopian government officials, the Chinese diplomatic community, as well as African and Chinese medical experts and healthcare professionals.
Addressing the gathering, Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie stressed the vital importance of introducing modern technology and a skilled health workforce into the public healthcare sector.
He said that by adopting advanced medical techniques, the newly launched initiatives enable efficient public health service delivery to Ethiopian communities and beyond, across the African continent.
The president, in particular, commended Chinese trainers and medical doctors for their skill and knowledge transfer commitments, describing them as "important in upgrading our health services, appointing ourselves with new technology, and to be pioneers in many ways."
The newly launched joint initiatives are expected to deepen long-term collaboration between Chinese and African medical institutions by cultivating a localized workforce of African specialists through systematic mentoring, simulator-based training, and practical clinical instruction in advanced endoscopic and robotic surgical techniques.
Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Chen Hai described the partnership program as a practical measure and concrete step in implementing the Health Partnership Action under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
"At a time when practical cooperation between China and Africa continues to deepen and deliver tangible results across many sectors, I am especially pleased to see more of China's high-quality medical expertise and resources reaching Africa, and Ethiopia in particular," he said.
For her part, Ethiopian Health Minister Mekdes Daba commended the win-win outcomes of the China-Ethiopia and China-Africa collaborative frameworks in the health sector.
Highlighting the imperative for fostering medical excellence, she emphasized that the newly launched joint initiatives "will become a model of success that we will try to translate to other services."
According to Liu Longfei, vice president of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, minimally invasive surgery advances healthcare equity by offering precise treatment with less trauma, faster recovery times, and improved safety for surgical patients.
He said that Chinese and African medical institutions, under the China-Africa Hospital Alliance, are building long-term collaborative mechanisms to facilitate knowledge sharing and talent exchange.
During the event, about 40 trainees from Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Libya, and Ethiopia also participated in the first training program on endoscopic technology, offered by Chinese experts.
