2024 China CDC WHO Collaborating Centers Workshop Held in Beijing

On the morning of July 17, 2024, the Office of International Cooperation of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) organized a workshop for the World Health Organization Collaborating Centers (WHOCC) in China CDC. Approximately 30 current WHOCC leaders and representatives from relevant units attended the workshop.

 

During the meeting, leaders or experts from WHOCCs specializing in radiation safety, vector surveillance and management, tropical diseases, and other fields presented the recent achievements of their respective centers. They shared practical experiences focusing on the technical leadership and demonstration roles of the WHOCCs, covering aspects from strategic planning and project implementation to regional and even global impact. These experiences included effectively coordinating resources, enhancing domestic and international health technology exchanges and personnel training, actively participating in discussions on global hot topics and interdisciplinary issues, and deeply engaging in global health governance, all to promote the implementation of national and global cooperation strategies.

 

 

Dr. Duan Leilei from the National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention shared her experiences and insights from the application process of the newly designated WHO Collaborating Center for Injury Prevention and Control, emphasizing the critical role of core experts within the WHOCCs. Additionally, leaders from related direct-affiliated units introduced their ideas and progress in applying for new WHOCCs.

 

Professor Wu Yongning, Chief Technical Advisor of the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, was specially invited to share the experiences of the WHO Collaborating Center for Food Contamination Monitoring in participating in the Codex Alimentarius Commission and in the development of international standards and norms related to food safety. He highlighted how the technical prestige of the Chinese team has secured a long-term voice for Chinese experts in the professional committees of international organizations.

 

Following the presentations, attendees discussed how to better leverage the role of WHOCCs as centers of technical excellence. Topics included innovative approaches to fulfilling WHOCC mandates in the current global health governance environment, models for expanding global partnership networks, channels for sharing collaborative resources, and ways to strengthen the cultivation of global health talent, further advancing the internationalization process of the centers.