Successful Convening of the 2024 Healthy China Development Conference – Health and Environment Action Sub-forum

In order to fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and thoroughly execute the Opinions of the State Council on Implementing the Healthy China Action and the Healthy China Action (2019-2030), the "2024 Healthy China Development Conference and the 5th Anniversary Exhibition of the Healthy China Action" was held on July 20, 2024, in Xiong'an New Area. The conference featured 11 sub-forums, including the Health and Environment Action Sub-forum, organized concurrently by the National Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control, co-organized by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) and the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association (CPMA), with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health, China CDC (NIEH) and the Environmental Hygiene Branch of CPMA.

 

The opening ceremony of the sub-forum was presided over by Ji Yongcai, Director of the Environmental Health and Endemic Disease Control Division of the Department of Health and Immunization of National Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control. Key attendees and speakers included Chen Suling, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Hebei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Feng Zijian, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the CPMA; Shi Xiaoming, Deputy Director of the China CDC; Duan Guangming, Deputy Inspector of the Department of Regulations and Standards at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment; Zhang Xuejin, Deputy Inspector of the Rural Water Resources and Hydropower Division at the Ministry of Water Resources; and Li Xiaocui, Deputy Director of the Department of Health and Immunization of National Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control. The conference agenda also included keynote speeches, presentations on Health and Environment Promotion Action experiences, a roundtable dialogue, and the launch ceremony of the National Environmental Health Awareness Campaign. These sessions were chaired by Yao Xiaoyuan, Party Secretary of the NIEH; Feng Zijian, Secretary-General of the CPMA; and Dai Zheng, Director of the Department of Public Health Department of China CDC.

 

In her address, Deputy Director Li Xiaocui provided an overview of the recent achievements in healthy environment construction, made possible through the concerted efforts of various departments. She also outlined the priorities for the next phase of work. First, she emphasized the importance of viewing the Health and Environment Promotion Action, as well as the prevention and control of endemic and infectious diseases, from the perspective of advancing Chinese modernization. She underscored the need to prioritize prevention, uphold a broad concept of health, and actively foster an environment conducive to ecological, productive, and social well-being. Second, she called for comprehensive measures to promote the high-quality development of disease prevention and control efforts. This involves further refining interdepartmental coordination and information-sharing mechanisms, integrating the prevention, control, and management of infectious, endemic, and parasitic diseases, and strengthening the deep integration of disease control with scientific and technological innovation. Third, she highlighted the need for a coordinated approach to ensure widespread public participation in the Health and Environment Promotion Action through activities such as science popularization and education, thereby integrating health into all policies and ensuring that the benefits of health initiatives reach the entire population.

 

Researcher Shi Xiaoming, in his speech, pointed out that significant progress has been made in the construction of Healthy China and the promotion of health and environment over recent years. By maintaining a problem-oriented, demand-oriented, and goal-oriented approach, various departments have continuously enhanced their capacity for scientific and technological innovation. This includes establishing monitoring networks, studying the causes, risks, and mechanisms of diseases, and developing health protection strategies, all of which have led to positive outcomes in environmental health, infectious disease prevention and control, and parasitic disease and endemic disease control. Looking ahead, he outlined three key areas of focus: first, to align efforts with national strategic priorities, leveraging the expertise of professional and technical systems to address pressing public health and environmental challenges, thereby improving work standards and ensuring public health. Second, to promote the integrated development of science and technology across fields such as environmental science, environmental health, and climate change, fostering collaboration among research institutions and contributing to the goal of building a technologically advanced nation. Third, to strengthen the application of research outcomes, ensuring that scientific innovations are effectively translated into practical applications, thereby promoting the integration of technological and industrial innovation.

 

 

 

The session on keynote speeches and experience sharing in Health and Environment Promotion Action featured presentations by leading experts, including Researcher Shi Xiaoming, Director of the Endemic Disease Control Center, China CDC and Vice President of Harbin Medical University; Researcher Gao Yanhui, Deputy Director of the Information Center of National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, China CDC; and Researcher Wang Lin, Director of NIEH, China CDC. The presentations focused on various aspects of healthy environment construction, endemic and parasitic disease prevention and control, Health and Environment Action, and health promotion strategies. Representatives from six cities—Chengdu, Shijiazhuang, Shanghai, Qingdao, Shenzhen, and Chongqing—shared their experiences with typical cases of Health and Environment Promotion Action.

During the roundtable dialogue on the theme of "Climate Change and Health," Academician Zhu Tong from Peking University, Researcher Shi Xiaoming, Researcher Yao Xiaoyuan, Researcher Zhang Yi from the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, China CDC, and Senior Engineer Wu Xiaomei, Director of the Rural Water Supply Division at the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, discussed the significant impacts of climate change on the ecological environment and human health. They also exchanged views on the roles and main tasks of disease control, ecological environment, and water resources departments in health adaptation to climate change. Additionally, they explored directions for China's participation in global climate change adaptation and governance, as well as future scientific research plans and policy considerations.

At the launch ceremony of the 2024 National Environmental Health Awareness Campaign, themed "Environment and Scientific Disinfection," Deputy Director Li Xiaocui, Researcher Shi Xiaoming, Director Ji Yongcai, Deputy Director Chen Suling, Director Dai Zheng, Researcher Wang Lin, Researcher Yao Xiaoyuan, and Shi Jian, a member of the Party Committee of the Hebei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, jointly initiated the campaign.

The conference, which focused on healthy environment construction, reviewed the achievements of the past five years in areas such as environmental health, endemic disease and parasitic disease prevention and control. It facilitated the exchange of the latest developments in healthy environment construction among the disease prevention and control, ecological environment, and water resources departments, discussed the future development of climate change health adaptation, and shared experiences in healthy environment construction. The conference holds significant importance in promoting communication and collaboration among relevant departments, exploring pathways for healthy environment construction, stimulating innovative scientific thinking, strengthening policy guidance and support, and enhancing international exchange and cooperation. It also provides valuable insights for further advancing healthy environment construction and contributing to the sustainable development of human health initiatives.