Washington, D.C.
Ludi Joseph
Phone: +1 202 473 7700
Email: ljoseph@ifc.org

Hong Kong
Andrew Mak
Phone: +852 2509 8110
Email: amak@ifc.org

Beijing
Wenqin Zhu
Phone: +86 10 5860 3130        
Email: wzhu@ifc.org


Beijing/Washington, D.C., March 16, 2007 — Can increased cooperation between the government and private sector benefit China’s health services? The China Health Care Public-Private Partnership Forum 2007, to be held in Beijing on March 21, 2007, will address this and related issues. The conference will bring together senior Chinese government officials, health specialists, executives, and financiers who have demonstrated innovative solutions to health care challenges in the private sector. The conference will also explore ways in which the private sector can help raise standards and increase access to better services for the Chinese people.

Co-sponsored by IFC and China’s Ministries of Finance and Health, the conference will explore public-private partnership models that improve health sector investment. Speakers will highlight cases that demonstrate the contribution of PPPs, ascertain key challenges, explore potential solutions, and identify possible initiatives for PPPs to invest in a sound health care system. The agenda can be found at http://www.pppforum.org/

According to Farida Khambata, IFC Vice President, Asia and Latin America, who will speak at the conference, “Over the past two decades, China has undergone social and economic changes that have had a major impact on the health of its people. Global trends point to a significant and expanding role for the private sector as a partner with public health systems, particularly in the provision of health care. IFC believes that more active private involvement will support the public health system as well as promote rapid reforms, thereby driving more private investment to health care.”

To date, IFC has financed two health sector projects in China: a 2005 RMB 64.88 million loan ($8 million equivalent) to support United Family Hospitals and Clinics, a leading hospital group with facilities in Beijing and Shanghai, and a 2006 RMB 64 million loan ($8.1 million equivalent) to Aier Eye Hospital Group, a major eye care network with 12 full-service eye hospitals and two eye research institutes in major cities. Both projects worked cooperatively with the public sector to achieve results in raising health care standards and delivering high-quality service.

“Closing the gap between the need for health services and the capacity of the current health insurance and delivery systems requires private sector involvement,” said Karin Finkelston, IFC Associate Director for East Asia and the Pacific. “To achieve this, China needs to update its regulatory policies and framework and improve the investment environment to bring more private participation into this critical sector.”

“IFC’s investments in China’s health sector are part of our ongoing efforts to help Chinese institutions expand access to international standards of health care,” noted Patrick Leahy, IFC Manager for Health and Education, who will also address the conference. “Our investee hospitals in China are raising the overall quality of private medical services, increasing access to health care, and facilitating the international exchange of best practice.”

About IFC

IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, promotes open and competitive markets in developing countries. IFC supports sustainable private sector companies and other partners in generating productive jobs and delivering basic services, so that people have opportunities to escape poverty and improve their lives. Through FY06, IFC Financial Products has committed more than $56 billion in funding for private sector investments and mobilized an additional $25 billion in syndications for 3,531 companies in 140 developing countries. IFC Advisory Services and donor partners have provided more than $1 billion in program support to build small enterprises, accelerate private participation in infrastructure, improve the business enabling environment, increase access to finance, and strengthen environmental and social sustainability. For more information, please visit www.ifc.org.