The Chinese government has agreed to donate US$8 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) for supporting health care in African countries, Chinese Health Minister Gao Qiang said in Geneva on Tuesday.

Addressing the annual assembly of the UN agency, Gao said the money would be mainly used for the establishment and improvement of African countries' disease surveillance networks, enhancing their capability for disease control and public health emergency response.

Gao said developing countries suffer deeply from the prevalence of diseases, mainly due to their weak public health infrastructure and difficulties in finance, personnel, and technology.

He called on the WHO and developed countries to increase their aid for public health system building in developing countries.

China, as a developing country, still faces many difficulties in its domestic health system, but it is ready to make contributions and work with the WHO and the international community for building a global health security network, Gao said.

The WHO's 60th annual assembly opened in Geneva on Monday. Delegates from the body's 193 member states will discuss a series of health security issues in the 10-day conference.

(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2007)