Digital health solutions are increasingly important in enhancing healthcare accessibility and efficiency, particularly in remote or underserved areas. Under the HSR, in 2018, the Chinese company Huawei signed an agreement with the Government of Papua New Guinea to build a telemedicine system that would facilitate remote medical consultations and improve healthcare delivery in rural areas.

Improving public health infrastructure is crucial for preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases. China has been investing in public health and disease surveillance systems in partner countries under the HSR, such as the China-aided Malaria Control Project in Cameroon, which includes the construction of a national malaria control centre, laboratories, and training facilities. As building human resources for health is an integral part of strengthening the healthcare infrastructure, China has funded the construction of the China-Zimbabwe Friendship Hospital School of Nursing in Zimbabwe to bolster the training of local nursing professionals.

Similarly, the China-Africa Public Health Cooperation Plan, established in 2018, focuses on joint initiatives in areas such as malaria and HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Joint medical research projects are another essential component of international health cooperation under the HSR.

Health, once viewed primarily as a humanitarian domain, has become another avenue through which China seeks to project influence and strengthen its global footprint.

Health, once viewed primarily as a humanitarian domain, has become another avenue through which China seeks to project........

© Daily Times