Gov't role essential in reaching SDG targets: Chinese health minister

China's Minister of National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) Li Bin on Tuesday said governments play a pivotal role in realizing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"One of our key experiences is that the government should fulfill its main responsibility in protecting and promoting health," she said in a technical briefing as part of the 69th World Health Assembly taking place here.

"The Chinese government attaches great importance to the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and we have adopted a series of actions to achieve related goals," she added.

On the basis of China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), using the 2030 agenda for sustainable development as a reference, the Chinese government is formulating a guideline for the development of the health sector until the year 2030, according to the minister.

The minister stressed the importance of cultivating healthy behaviors, building equitable and comprehensive health coverage, improving medical and health security while promoting the health sector's development.

"In any country in the world, it is always a difficult and complicated undertaking that needs systemic approach to achieve health related goals," Li explained.

"In the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, it is therefore necessary to strengthen inter-sectoral action and overall performance," she added.

According to Li, health and health equity should be the core values underpinning policy making and subsequent implementation, while public and private partnerships should be encouraged.

Li also highlighted the importance of actively participating in global exchanges and cooperative health-ventures to jointly achieve health-related SDGs.

Seeking to enhance international cooperation with health agencies, Li said China would intensify its relationship with developing countries, inter alia strengthening its health assistance towards nations with weaker health systems. Enditem