The Fourth International Roundtable on China-Africa Health Collaboration, held in Gaborone, Botswana this May, marked the jubilee celebration of continued and sustained growth in health partnerships between the two sides.

The roundtable meeting was the first of its kind to be hosted in Africa, a move made to promote and strengthen the South-South partnership. This partnership draws on China's medical expertise to jointly tackle critical health issues like HIV/AIDS, malaria, reproductive health, access to life-saving vaccines and treatment of non-communicable diseases. Representatives at the meeting developed joint recommendations for a long-term strategic China-Africa health cooperation plan. These recommendations will be considered at the Ministerial Forum of China-Africa Health Development during the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which will be held this August, in Beijing.

China's medical aid to Africa has included help with health personnel, infrastructure, disease control and scholarships for training health experts. More recent aid has included the Brightness Action, a program that provides free treatment for those suffering from cataracts. China launched this program at the Fifth FOCAC Ministerial Conference, which was held last year. Cooperation with China has enabled many African countries to achieve long-term, sustainable gains, such as strengthening their health systems, addressing healthcare worker shortages and implementing public health policies.

The Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Liu Guangyuan, while speaking in Nairobi last September at an international conference on China-East Africa Cooperation in Pharmaceuticals and Health Devices, said medical and healthcare assistance are priorities in China's aid to African countries. He also stated that China had sent about 20,000 medical workers to 46 African countries as of the end of 2011.

Since the First FOCAC Summit was held in Beijing in 2006, China has built several hospitals and provided large quantities of medical equipment and supplies to many African countries. The East African Community (EAC) is a key export destination for China's pharmaceutical industry.

The healthcare industry has weathered the global financial crisis and maintained steady growth. In recent years, as emerging markets, China and Africa have developed rapidly and strengthened their strategic partnership and open dialogue. 

Economic indicators published by the Kenyan National Bureau of Statistics in May 2013 show that healthcare trade between China and East Africa grew by 20 percent annually, amounting to $145 million in 2012. This was confirmed by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Medicine and Health Products (CCCMHPIE) report from March 2013, which showed that the value of medical products exported from China to Africa from January-September 2012, totaled $1.47 billion. The report said that over the past decade, health trade between China and Africa increased 10-fold to $1.84 billion in 2011, making Africa China's important trading partner in the medical sector.

"East Africa is one of most regular beneficiaries of China's medical and health cooperation with Africa. For example, in recent years, pharmaceutical trade volume between China and Kenya has increased by over 20 percent every year, making Kenya China's sixth largest pharmaceutical trade partner in Africa," said Dr. Stanley Sonoiya, the Principal Health Officer at the EAC Secretariat. 

Chinese quality 

Through years of development, the structure of Chinese pharmaceutical industry has been advanced, and is continuing forward, improving manufacturing standards and raising production capacities.

Dr. Dhirendra Shah, Chairman of the Federation of East African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, said that many quality medical products imported from China, ranging from traditional medicines and herbal extracts to medical dressings and diagnostic devices, have received a warm welcome on the global market. He said that, as the world's third largest pharmaceutical market, Africa is a major beneficiary of Chinese development and success in medical fields.

China produces high quality pharmaceutical products at much lower costs than developed countries. Low-price and affordable Chinese drugs are a better choice for Africa, as the continent seeks to cut its healthcare expenditures. Paul Mwaniki, Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK), said Chinese pharmaceutical companies export high-quality, low-cost health products to Africa, and ensures that these products are safe and meet international quality standards. Mwaniki said rigorous quality control systems are a major feature of Chinese drug development, manufacturing, inspection and distribution.

Many Chinese pharmaceutical companies have already been granted quality certificates from the European Union, the United States and other developed countries. "Much of China's health assistance is used to expand Africa's capacity to be self-sufficient and boost its own economic development. China is supporting Africa's health progress through its investments in health research and development," said Meng Dongping, Vice Chairperson of CCCMHPIE, also speaking at the Conference on China-East Africa Cooperation in Pharmaceuticals and Health Devices last September.

Meng said the Chinese Government attaches great importance to drug safety. To safeguard public health, China enforces strict manufacturing and licensing rules, achieving drug safety through regularly conducted and thorough inspections, as well as the imposition of stern penalties for violations. In order to provide African consumers with reliable products, CCCMHPIE has established a website (www.cnmed.com.cn) where it publishes lists of approved Chinese pharmaceutical enterprises and their products. The chamber is also working on a product catalogue to make things more convenient for African clients.

Chinese traditions 

Sino-African health cooperation has also begun to include traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This ancient school of medical knowledge is considered particularly helpful in Sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 80 percent of the population depends on indigenous medicines as their primary form of health care.

Dr. Esther Matu, a senior researcher at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, said Chinese herbal medicines have been used for many purposes, including treating victims of poisoning, malaria, kidney diseases and stomach pain, as well as dressing wounds and boosting the appetites of people living with HIV/AIDS. However, some experts warn that traditional medicines are sometimes poorly packaged and that patients must be careful to ensure that medicines are not out of date, and that they are clear on the correct dosage of any medicines they take.

The success of Chinese herbal medicines in Africa has aroused interest in increasing funding for scientific research on the uses and effects of these medicines. Matu said that traditional Chinese herbal medicines have played a prominent role in containing and treating acute diseases in Africa. She said that, like China, many African countries can benefit from increased research on traditional herbal medicines. CA

(Reporting from Kenya)