ACHEST at Chinese Consortium of Universities of Global Health meeting in China

Dr. Elsie Kiguli-Malwadde, Director of Health Workforce, Education and Development
at the African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST) attended the Chinese Consortium of Universities Global Health (CUGH) conference that ran from 14th to15th October 2016 held at the Duke Kunshan University in China.

The conference that brought together over 240 participants from 13 different countries was premised on the theme: Advancing the Health Sustainable Development goals in China and globally: Working together to meet challenges.

The conference program included plenary keynote addresses, concurrent sessions, panel discussions and poster presentations that were packaged in seven (7) subthemes that included:
1)Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health 2) Emerging Infectious Diseases 3) Environmental Health and Climate Change 4) Global Health Education and Human Resources 5) Health Systems Strengthening 6) China’s engagement in global health development and 7) Cooperation and partnership.

Dr. Kiguli-Malwadde made a presentation titled: The Role of Health Policy Research Centers in Accelerating SDGs in Africa and noted that: “Africa is 11% of the world’s population, but half of the world’s burden of maternal and child deaths, 85% of malaria cases, 67% of AIDS cases and 26% of underweight children lie within Africa. Due to the epidemic of non-communicable diseases, Africa is faced with a double burden of disease, yet with the lowest level of financing for health.

The different presentations highlighted the Chinese achievements in health using 3 main approaches that included the technical, economic and political will. The meeting also emphasized the need for South-South collaboration and the need for China to contribute to this cooperation.

CUGH is composed of 18 Chinese universities.