The 5th National Symposium on Injury Prevention and the The First Academic Conference of Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Branch of China Association for Health Promotion and Education Held in Beijing

On July 7, 2024, the National Center for Chronic and Non-Communicable Disease  Control and Prevention (NCNCD) of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) held the 5th National Symposium on Injury Prevention and the The First Academic Conference of Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Branch of China Association for Health Promotion and Education in Beijing. Academician Shen Hongbing, Deputy Director of the National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention and Director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Kong Lingzhi, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Association for Health Promotion and Education; Li Juan, Director of the Division from the Department of International Cooperation of the National Health Commission; Xiong Yan, Deputy Director of the Division from the Department of Health and Immunization of the National CDC; Dr Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility at the World Health Organization Headquarters; Ali Shirazi, Director of the Child Health and Development of UNICEF China Office, and other officials attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Martin Taylor, Representative of the World Health Organization in China, delivered a speech online. About 150 experts from home and abroad in the field of injury prevention and control and representatives from CDCs at various levels across the country attended the meeting..

The opening ceremony also featured the unveiling of the WHO Collaborating Center for Injury Prevention and Control. On January 15, 2024, WHO officially designated the Injury Prevention and Mental Health Divsion of NCNCD, China CDC as a WHO Collaborating Center for Injury Prevention and Control. This is the first WHO Collaborating Center for Injury Prevention and Control in China, marking a significant step forward for the country in the field of injury prevention and control.

In his address, Academician Shen Hongbing congratulated the inauguration of the WHO Collaborating Center for Injury Prevention and Control. While fully affirming China’s achievements in injury prevention, he outlined three key hopes for the future: first, to comprehensively strengthen injury surveillance capabilities; second, to continuously enhance professional technical standards; and third, to build platforms for domestic and international cooperation and exchange. Shen expressed his hope that the China CDC’s Center for Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control would leverage its new status as a WHO Collaborating Center to work hand in hand with countries worldwide, advancing the global cause of injury prevention and control, and contributing to a safer and healthier shared future for humanity.

Kong Lingzhi, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Health Promotion and Education Association, recognized the professional impact and significance of this conference as the first academic exchange activity of the newly established Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Branch. She expressed her hope that through communication and cooperation, the development of injury prevention in China would be further promoted, aiding in the construction of a Healthy China. She also congratulated the China CDC's Center for Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control on being approved as the first WHO Collaborating Center for Injury Prevention and Control in China.

Li Juan, Director of the division form the International Cooperation Department of the National Health Commission, introduced the current status of WHO Collaborating Centers in China, noting that there are currently 62 such centers. She emphasized that these centers are a key pillar of institutional cooperation between China and WHO, contributing positively to the high-quality development of China’s health and wellness initiatives and global health advancement.

Wu Jing, Director of the NCNCD, China CDC, reviewed the progress in injury prevention work and introduced the center's distinctive features and tasks, summarized as one center, two management units, three fields, and four supports. She highlighted that the center’s dual recognition as a WHO Collaborating Center for both chronic disease and injury prevention places significant responsibility on its shoulders. Wu emphasized the commitment to vigorously support the development of both collaborating centers for chronic disease and injury prevention, contributing to global health initiatives.

 

Xiong Yan, Deputy Director of the Division from the Health Immunization Department of the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control, emphasized the importance of injury prevention work and introduced the layout of injury prevention efforts by the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control. She affirmed the injury prevention efforts carried out by the NCDCD, China CDC, provided guidance for future injury prevention work, and expressed her expectations for enhanced academic exchange and cooperation in the field of injury prevention.

Dr. Nhan Tran highlighted the crucial role of the WHO Collaborating Center for Injury Prevention and Control in global injury prevention efforts. He pointed out that China's extensive experience and practice in injury prevention are of significant value and serve as a guide for other countries. Dr. Tran expressed heartfelt gratitude for China's long-term support of WHO’s injury prevention work and looked forward to future multilateral cooperation.

In his online address, Martin Taylor, WHO Representative in China, congratulated the China CDC's Center for Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control on becoming the first WHO Collaborating Center for Injury Prevention and Control in China. He stated that the WHO Representative Office in China is willing to work with the Collaborating Center to promote injury prevention efforts globally, regionally, and within China through strengthened research, policy advocacy, and capacity building.

Ali Shirazi, Head of Child Health and Development at UNICEF China, emphasized the importance of child injury prevention, reviewed the history of UNICEF’s cooperation with various Chinese departments, and praised China’s achievements in the field of child injury prevention. He expressed UNICEF’s commitment to continue supporting China’s child injury prevention efforts to protect child safety.

During the seminar, experts and scholars from both domestic and international spheres engaged in discussions and exchanges on various aspects of injury prevention. They shared the latest advancements, reflections, and practices in the field of injury prevention, summarized China's achievements and experiences in injury prevention, and expanded the global perspective and innovative research in injury prevention. The seminar contributed valuable insights and efforts toward implementing national policies such as the "Healthy China 2030" Planning Outline, the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Health, and the State Council's guidelines on promoting high-quality development in disease prevention and control, aimed at preventing and reducing injuries.