Representatives from the Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children and the Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital shake hands after signing a cooperation agreement on July 9. [Photo/CQHCWC]

The Sichuan-Chongqing birth defect prevention and control forum was held in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, on July 9.

The Sichuan provincial work conference on birth defect prevention and control was held simultaneously. Officials such as Lou Xiaoying from the Health Commission of Sichuan Province attended the event.

During the conference, the Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children (CQHCWC) in Chongqing and the Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in Chengdu reached a partnership agreement.

Wang Jian, secretary of the Party committee of CQHCWC, addressed the event, briefing attendees on the hospital's history and development.

She said that Sichuan and Chongqing have cooperated in maternal and child healthcare for many years, and expressed hope that this partnership would help establish a strong cooperation system between the two places in hospital management, medical care, scientific research and teaching, talent training, public health, and more by closely integrating the health needs of women and children in the two places.

Zhang Gang, secretary of the Party committee of the Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, said that the two hospitals will deepen their long-term, stable, and comprehensive partnership and develop a model for maternal and child healthcare cooperation in Sichuan and Chongqing.

These efforts are meant to protect the wellbeing and health of women and children in the region and jointly promote the high-quality development of maternal and child health care in western China, Zhang added.