The Global Health and Development Boao Forum was held in Boao, Hainan on August 11, 2023. As one of the important themes of the 2023 Boao Forum for Asia, the forum was jointly organized by Peking University's Institute for Global Health and Development, Zhongkang Technology, and Zhongkanglian Public Welfare Foundation. Top macroeconomists, experts in medical technology, healthcare policy experts, representatives of health industry entrepreneurs, and other guests were invited to attend. The forum focused on over ten key topics including China's development and the global economy, Global Health and Development, global health governance and medical innovation, internationalization of Chinese pharmaceutical companies, and foreign investment attraction. It conducted closed-door discussions and held thematic reports and roundtable discussions on the four main thematic modules of "Economic Outlook," "Global Health," "Medical Innovation," and "Integration of Medicine and Engineering." Participants engaged in in-depth exchanges and forward-looking discussions from macro and international perspectives.
Liu Guoen, Director of the Institute for Global Health and Development at Peking University, Changjiang Distinguished Professor at Peking University's National School of Development, and Member of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wu Han, Chairman of Zhongkang Technology, and Liu Lei, Chairman of Zhongkanglian Public Welfare Foundation, delivered opening speeches. From the perspectives of academia, industry, and public welfare organizations, they emphasized that after experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic which challenged humanity, health has become a major issue for the international community. They stressed the importance of approaching health from a cross-border perspective and dedicating efforts towards human development.
The forum comprised four main themes, each moderated by distinguished individuals.
Qin Xuezheng, Associate Dean of the School of Economics at Peking University and Director of the Center for Market Economy Research
Zhang Haibin, Associate Dean of the School of International Studies at Peking University and Member of the Fourth National Climate Change Expert Committee
Xu Ming, Director of the Global Health Department at the School of Public Health, Peking University
Sun Xiaowei, Vice Chairman of the China Association for Medical Equipment.
Focusing on the macroeconomic outlook, the forum featured a thematic report by the following individuals for a roundtable dialogue.
Yu Miaojie, Vice Secretary of the Party Committee and President of Liaoning University
Xu Xianchun, a specially appointed professor at the PKU National School of Development
Li Qing, Vice President of the China Society of Economic Reform
Huang Cheng, a professor at Peking University's Institute for Global Health and Development
The guests elaborated on five development concepts—innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing—in China's modernization within the current economic environment. They presented statistical data and analyzed the current state of China's macroeconomy, dissecting the overall situation of economic recovery in the first half of the year and providing economic outlooks for the second half of the year from perspectives of industry, demand, income, and price structures.
In the realm of Global Health and Development, the thematic report was delivered by the following.
Yin Zundong, Director of the Immunization Planning Center at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Huang Cheng, professor at Peking University's Institute for Global Health and Development
The following individuals joined for a roundtable discussion.
Han Xiaofang, Vice President of the China International Exchange Promotion Association for Medical and Health Care and former Director of the Beijing Municipal Health Reform Office
Xu Jing, professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Peking University and specially appointed professor at the Institute for Global Health and Development
Xie Qirun, Chairman of the China Biopharmaceuticals Council
Li Junguo, Vice President of Zhongkang Technology
The guests elaborated on the insights brought by the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic for future disease prevention work from four dimensions: biology, medicine, talent cultivation, and the relationship between humans and nature. They reviewed and analyzed global health trends and challenges, international efforts for global health, and China's contributions to addressing global health challenges from both policy and market perspectives. Furthermore, they emphasized the importance of international cooperation in global health governance as a vital pathway toward achieving the goal of "Health for All."
On the topic of pharmaceutical innovation, the following delivered thematic reports.
· Gao Fu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, former Director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Chairman of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology Engineering
· Xiao Ruiping, Dean of the Future Technology Institute at Peking University and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine
· Xu Jiaqi, former Director of the Drug Evaluation Center of the China National Medical Products Administration
The following individuals joined for a roundtable discussion.
· Wu Xiaobin, President, Chief Operating Officer, and General Manager of the China region of BeiGene
· Xia Yu, Chairman of Kangfang Bio
The guests called for cultivating creative, inclusive, and resilient talents, unleashing innovation and creativity, and promoting cooperation and exchanges to address major scientific issues in the world's social and economic development. Pharmaceutical innovation extends from the laboratory to industrial drugs, with its goal being to benefit and serve people. The guests emphasized that reform of the pharmaceutical industry policy system is imperative. Through a robust innovative drug evaluation and approval mechanism, cost-effective pharmaceutical and health services can be promoted to enter the market, providing material guarantees for improving medical standards.
Finally, focusing on the integration of medicine and engineering, the following delivered thematic reports.
· Hou Yan, Chairman of the China Association of Medical Equipment, Chairman of the Medical Equipment Intellectual Property Alliance, and former Director of the Planning and Information Department of the National Health and Family Planning Commission
· Ren Qiushi, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Future Technology Institute of Peking University, Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor appointed by the Ministry of Education, and Director of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, delivered thematic reports
They were joined by the following individuals for a roundtable discussion.
· Yan Zhi, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Management Bureau of the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pioneer Zone in Hainan
· Gong Xiaoyan, Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Chairman and CEO of Suzhou Innovent Medtech Co., Ltd.
· Pan Xiaofeng, CEO of Intuitive Fosun
The guests discussed the relationship between medical equipment, medical technology, and “Healthy China,” exploring the intersection of the medical field and engineering technology. They discussed how to achieve innovation through intersecting medicine and engineering, thereby promoting the innovative development of medical technology and the continuous improvement of medical standards.
The Global Health and Development Boao Forum, based on a macro perspective and an international outlook, is committed to promoting technological innovation, globalization, and sustainable development in the national health industry. It aims to provide scientific references for long-term strategic decision-making of enterprises and to help advance the grand goal of building a community of shared future for human health.
(Interpreted by Waverly Shi)
