The 2nd Belt & Road Initiative Global Health International Congress & the 2018 Global Health Forum of the University Alliance of Silk Road was held in Xi’an, Shaanxi province on Nov 23-26.

The event about the Belt and Road Initiative and global health was attended by experts, scholars and enterprise representatives from across the world.

Guo Jianjun, a director at the China Institute of Sport Science under the national sports authority, delivered a report at the event and received an exclusive interview. 

Here is the interview:

Reporter: What China would contribute to the global health industry in the areas of integrating sports and medical care?

Guo: In every country in the world, including China, health issues arise from lifestyle choices. China could lead the world in addressing global health problems with its sports system.

China used to promote the sport industry in order to develop more Olympic champions representing the country. But now its aim in promoting the research of sports is to offer guidance on a healthy lifestyle for the public.

The sports industry in the United States and countries in Europe is highly commercialized. In China, it is much easier to bring the research achievements of national athletes to the hospitals.

The application of research results on national teams sets an example to the world in how to use sports research for public health benefit.

Reporter: What are the latest developments in integrating sports and medical care? 

Guo: We have made great contributions in discipline construction, application of scientific research, as well as the standardization of integrating sports and medical care.

The association of sports medicine has recently been established, becoming the first institute integrating sports and medical care. The association builds a platform for the exchange between the two sectors, helping promote the development of the new discipline.

Sports medicine, as an emerging subject, has attracted attention from experts in areas of group sports, competitive sports, clinical medicine and public health.

In the future, China will continue to promote the development of this discipline.

The application of research on integrating sports and medical care has been improved. Last year, a society for health management for people with disabilities was established, the first of its kind in China. The country has also seen the establishment of associations to expand the promotion of research on integration of sports and medical care among the general public.

China also now attaches great importance on dealing with health issues of the elderly. It has made great efforts to establish the discipline of rehabilitative exercises.

With the cooperation of hospitals including Peking University Third Hospital, China has sped up the pace of standardizing the integration of sports and medical care.

About Guo Jianjun

Guo Jianjun, director at the innovation research center on integration of sports and medical care at the China Institute of Sport Science under the national sports authority, is also head of the Sports Medicine Subgroup of the Biophysical Society of China (BSC). He is dedicated to promoting the integration of sports and medical care with cooperation of leading doctors and experts from the medical care field.