May 13, 2008 – On the second day of a week-long visit to the People's Republic of China, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Michael O. Leavitt conitnued his visit to the port city of Shanghai. The Secretary held discussions with his counterpart, the Honorable Chen Zhu, M.D., and expressed his condolences on behalf of the American people for the loss of life suffered as a consequence of the earthquake in Sichaun Province. Secretary Leavitt offered assistance from the United States in the response to the tremor, as well as in the investigation and containment of the outbreaks of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in several Provinces. The two sides reviewed the results of the annual meeting of the Steering Committee of the United States-China Collaborative Program on Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases, which took place on May 10, 2008, and discussed plans to hold a joint Health-Care Forum before the next set of conversations under the United States-China Strategic Economic Dialogue, scheduled for June 2008.
Later in the day, Secretary Leavitt and Josephine Briggs, M.D., the Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the HHS National Institutes of Health, spent several hours at the Shuguang Hositpal and the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where they spoke with patients, providers and students. The Secretary tried his hand at a number of interactive teaching tools meant to assist in the training of physicians who specialize in traditional Chinese medicine.
The Secretary will continue his trip to China in Beijing, where he will meet with other senior Government officials.
