April 1, 2005
For Immediate Release

News Release

Canada, China Sign Plan of Action on Health Cooperation

Beijing - The Federal Minister of Health for Canada, the Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh, and Gao Qiang, Executive Minister of Health for the People's Republic of China, have signed a plan of action for cooperation between the two countries in the field of health. Parliamentary Secretary for Health, the Honourable Robert Thibault, joined Minister Dosanjh at the signing ceremony.

The action plan, which runs from March 29, 2005 to Dec. 31, 2008, builds on a 1995 memorandum of understanding between the two countries that advanced the principal that cooperation and exchange of activities on health matters would be mutually beneficial.

"Our mutual experiences with SARS and other communicable diseases have taught us that health issues have a way of transcending borders," said Minister Dosanjh. "This plan of action will help us with future collaboration and provides ample scope for the exchange of information, ideas and experts."

"This agreement marks a new stage of collaboration between Canada and China in the field of public health," said Mr. Thibault. "It bodes well for our future efforts to meet global health challenges."

With this agreement, the two nations have agreed to cooperate on a wide range of health issues, including health policies and regulations, public health emergencies such as infectious disease outbreaks, healthy living, health-related technology, blood safety and basic occupational health services. The participants may cooperate in a variety of ways - through joint studies, workshops and seminars, research and information exchanges, exchange of experts, or any other means mutually agreed to.

Minister Dosanjh said that Canada and China are already cooperating on a number of health-related fronts, but that the formal signing of the plan of action would have the effect of adding impetus and broadening those areas of mutual cooperation. He noted, for instance, that the plan would provide greater opportunities for an exchange of officials to learn more from each other on pandemic planning, adding that officials from the Public Health Agency of Canada will visit China and other nearby countries in April as part of a "scoping mission" to examine how best to collaborate on emerging infectious diseases.

"We can each be better positioned to head off and control the spread of infectious diseases by working collaboratively and cooperatively," he said.

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Minister Dosanjh and China's Executive Minister of Health Gao Qiang signing a Plan of Action in Beijing	Minister Dosanjh visitng the Children's Hospital of Fudan University of Shanghai
Minister Dosanjh pictured with six graduates of a training program jointly operated by the Canadian Neonatal Network and Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai. The six physicians received training from Canadian doctors and health professionals who volunteered their time to pass on their skills and experience.	Minister Dosanjh and Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr David Butler-Jones met with Dr. York Chow, Hong Kong's Secretary's of Health, Welfare and Food (left) and Professor Joseph J.Y. Sung, the renowned scientist who led the fight against SARS in Hong Kong in 2003.
Minister Dosanjh sharing Canada's experience in curbing tobacco use at a luncheon speech hosted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

Media Inquiries:

Adele Blanchard
Office of the Minister of Health
(613) 957-0200

Aggie Adamczyk
Public Health Agency of Canada
(613) 941-8189

Public Inquiries
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