SDSN-Beijing Health Forum

On May 13, 2013, the SDSN in collaboration with Peking University, the WHO China, and the Columbia Global Centers | East Asia held a SDSN-Beijing Health Forum at Peking University.

Dr. Gordon Liu, the SDSN Health Co-Chair and Professor of Economics at the Peking University National School of Development (PKU) opened the Forum. Dr. Ke Yang, PKU Executive Vice President and Director of Health Science Center, gave a welcome speech and presentation of China’s health challenges and successes. Dr. Joan Kaufman, Director of the Columbia Global Centers | East Asia introduced former Chinese Minister of Health Dr. Chen Zhu, currently Vice Chairman of the China National People’s Congress Executive Committee. Dr. Chen Zhu presented an overview of China’s move towards universal health coverage (UHC) and reforms under the China’s new health bill. Dr. Bernhard Schwartländer (WHO China Representative), Dr. Ren Minghui (Director of International Affairs, China National Health and Family Planning Commission), and Mr. Wang Jianrong (Deputy Director of National Health and Family Planning Dept of Drug Policy) commented on his remarks, applauding China’s health successes and offering recommendations to address remaining challenges.

Mr. Guido Schmidt-Traub, SDSN Executive Director, spoke about the importance of health in the post-2015 development agenda, followed by comments from SDSN Health Group members Dr. Robert Yates (WHO Senior Health Economist), Dr. Irene Agyepong (SDSN Health Co-Chair and Professor at the University of Ghana School of Public Health), Dr. Naoki Ikegami (Department Chair of Health Policy and Management at Keio School of Medicine), and Dr. Ravindra P. Rannan-Eliya (Director of Institute for Health Policy Sri Lanka). Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, SDSN Director and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General, delivered a final keynote address, followed by an open roundtable Q&A discussions. The Forum closed with concluding remarks by Dr. Gordon Liu.