Chinese Health Officials On PAHO/WHO Study Tours

Thirty-nine Chinese health officials have visited six Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) member countries during 2007 as part of a series of study-abroad programs organized by PAHO/WHO in partnership with health and educational institutions in the host countries.

Groups of Chinese health professionals have traveled to Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, and the United States for customized study and training programs on subjects including rural health and medical insurance systems, health care management for migrant children, health insurance systems and reimbursement mechanisms, health management and technology assessment, laboratory safety and techniques, occupational safety and health, daily public health news communication, and health system reform.

The PAHO/WHO China study tour program encourages dialogue, information exchange, and linkages between health officials in China and the PAHO region. Participants have included staff from the Chinese Ministry of Health, the Chinese Medical Association, and provincial health departments, among others.

The most recent study tour brought 10 Chinese health officials to Washington, D.C., for four weeks in November and December to study health management and technology assessment. The tour was organized by PAHO and the Health Services Management and Leadership Department of the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. Participants learned about health technology assessment and its role in health care policy; how to draft and develop health policy guidelines; how to use health evaluation techniques, policies, and theories; and new methods for developing effective health evaluation systems.

The study tours are organized by PAHO's Training and Fellowships program in the Human Resources for Health Unit.