Successful Webinar of the 5th EU-China Health Forum on 12 October, 2021 

Successful Webinar of the 5th EU-China Health Forum on 12 October, 2021 

Ghent University initiated the EU-China Health Forum (ECHF) as an annual event in 2017.

The fifth edition was held online 12 October 2021, which was also one of activities in the framework of 50 years of China -Belgium Diplomatic relations, and the 30th anniversary of the Province of East Flanders (Belgium) and the Province of Hebei (China). This 5th ECHF was focused on the “Family Health: Challenges, Evidence and Policy” and was co-organized by the Ghent University, Tsinghua University, National Research Institute for Family Planning (NRIFP) and China Family Planning Association (CFPA) with supports from Hebei Medical University, the National Association of Health Industry and Enterprise Management (UG) and Beijing Xinkang Charity Foundation. About 80 participants from China, Belgium and Kenya. participated in this forum

At the opening ceremony and address, Mrs. Ping HONG, Commissioner of China Family Planning Association chaired the forum, Prof. Wei-Hong ZHANG, Ghent University, introduced the background and objectives of this forum. Mr. Bram DE WINNE, Director Economy and International Cooperation, Province of East Flanders, Prof. Olivier DEGOMME, ANSER Network Coordinator, Ghent University, and Mr. Ao SUN, the Secretary-General at Beijing Xinkang Charity Foundation all delivered opening remarks and wished this health forum every success.

Then, Prof. Marleen TEMMERMAN, AKU/UG, Director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, and Professor Emerita, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Ghent University, Prof. Ailing WANG, National Center for Women and Children’s Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ms. Hongyan LIU, Deputy Director, China Population and Development Research Center, Prof. Kun TANG, Tsinghua University, Ms. Emilie PEETERS, ANSER Policy Officer, Ghent University gave keynote speeches on the ‘Maternal Health During COVID-19 in the World’, ‘Introduction on Prevention Mother-to-child Transmission of HBV in China’, ‘Childbearing Policy Change and Family Development in the New Era in China’, ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health of Chinese Youth’, and ‘From Evidence to Policy’. Following the keynote speeches, participants shared their experiences and looked forward to future collaboration on three topics: Impact of COVID-19 on Family Health, The Role of Family Health, and China's New Three-Child Policy.

Prof. Wei-Hong ZHANG of Ghent University spoke at the closing ceremony about the fruitful results of China and Belgium's collaboration in health science via the EU-China Health Forum, expressing her hope that the forum will bring together Belgian and Chinese researchers and strengthen existing collaboration, and looking forward to much more intensive collaboration in the future. The sixth EU-China Health Forum is scheduled for October 2022.