Ma Xiaowei, Vice Minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission issues the Beijing Declaration, together with Gwendoline Malegwale Ramokgopa, Deputy Health Minister of South Africa (PHOTO BY LIU JIAN)

1. The Ministers in charge of health affairs in China and African countries, as well as representatives from African Union, World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, World Bank, Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, and GAVI Alliance, in order to fulfill the commitment of the Beijing Action Plan (2013-15) which was formulated and adopted by the Fifth Ministerial Forum of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2012, met, on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the China Medical Team sent to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, in Beijing in August 2013 for the Ministerial Forum of China-Africa Health Development.

2. Under the theme of "Priorities of China-Africa Health Cooperation in the New Era," we have recognized health as a central element of China-Africa cooperation, and its important role in developing China-Africa relations and in promoting friendship among our peoples. We acknowledge the spirit of partnership, the principal of mutual benefit and the shared values of South-South cooperation. We also reviewed previous health cooperation between China and Africa, noted rapid development in recent years, and held discussions and reached consensus on the priorities and ways of health cooperation.

3. We express our appreciation for the important contributions to the people's health made by China Medical Teams in Africa over the past 50 years, for China's support to health infrastructure development and health human resources training. All these efforts have contributed to promote overall health development in Africa.

4. We welcome the important role of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in facilitating health collaboration betweenChina and Africa as a critical platform for collective dialogue and as an effective mechanism for practical collaboration. We are willing to make further efforts to promote discussion on health development issues under the framework of the Forum and establish a monitoring and evaluation mechanism, to enhance the role of health cooperation in the new strategic China-Africa partnership , which should be based on a sense of shared responsibility and global solidarity in responding to health challenges.

5. We acknowledge the important role of health in social development. Health is the foundation for comprehensive development of humanity, and should be placed at the center of global social development. We recognize the importance of increasing domestic investment in health from national budgets to promote sustainable health development. We call for the increase of investment from international community to actively support and help African countries to achieve their health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

6. We call for the prominent positioning of health and health-related issues in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, including health systems strengthening. We shall continue to support the achievement of health-related targets in the MDGs, fully recognizing the heavy burden on developing countries caused by communicable and non-communicable diseases, and promote universal coverage of health services delivery. We call for urgent attention to maternal and child health, and other health demands related to the development of Africa, and promotion of universally accessible reproductive health services. We call for the attention of international community to the quality, accessibility and affordability of health commodities in developing countries, and joint measures to lower prices.

7. We call for cooperation to be mobilized and tailored to support African Countries' national plans and priorities, and to be guided by existing African continental strategies and frameworks including the Africa Health Strategy (2007–15), the  Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA) and its Business Plan (2012), the African Union Road Map on Shared Responsibility and Global Solidarity for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria Response in Africa, the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal, New Born and Child Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), the Addis Statement on African leadership for Child Survival- a Promise Renewed, to End Preventable Childhood Deaths in a Generation, and the Maputo Plan of Action on Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights.

8. We support the reforms conducted by WHO to strengthen its role in global health governance.

9. We reaffirm that China and Africa will continue to strengthen cooperation in the health sector. To this end, we will: Ⅰ . Make concerted efforts to implement health-related issues in The Beijing Action Plan (2013-2015) adopted by the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Ⅱ . Develop human resources for health. Promote communication and cooperation between medical institutions in Chinaand Africa, continue to offer scholarships from China to Africa and establish cooperation in key clinical disciplines. Promote cooperation between medical schools and establish collaboration in health education and training and strengthen institutions for management and regulation.

Ⅲ . Promote communication and cooperation between academic and research institutions in China and Africa, establish joint research laboratories and ethical conduct in the medical field, and invite young scientists from Africa to China to carry out academic research and vice versa.

Ⅳ . Support African countries' health policies, programs and research on universal health coverage, in achieving sustainable, long-term health solutions, including traditional medicine and support strengthening of health information systems.   

Ⅴ .  Support the prevention and control of communicable and non- communicable diseases. Strengthen the expanded programme on immunization (EPI) and the fight against vaccine preventable diseases.

VI.  Discuss and carry out joint pilot projects gradually, through international cooperation with developing partners, in public health including schistosomiasis and malaria prevention and control as well as on universal access to reproductive health care and universal access to HIV and TB prevention, care, treatment and support.

Ⅶ . Support health infrastructure development including donating modulated easy-to-install General Practice clinics to Africa, adapted to local conditions.

Ⅷ .  Promote cooperation in standard setting and inspection of medical products through capacity building of human resources and use of appropriate technology and increase access to quality health commodities.

Ⅸ .  Support corporate cooperation between China and Africa, encourage health technology transfer to reduce the price of health commodities including pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, vaccines and equipment, and increase their affordability.

Ⅹ .  Further strengthen coordination and mutual support including joint learning in global health issues.

XI. Facilitate communication and cooperation between non-government organizations in the health sector. Through the platform of China-Africa cooperation Forum, we will make joint efforts to implement the "China-Africa friendly civil partnership plan" including non-governmental health organizations.

10. We appreciate the meticulous preparation and thoughtful arrangement for the Forum by China, and anticipate more fruitful achievements and bigger successes in China-Africa health cooperation.