Joining Hands to Build a China-Africa Health Community ——2025 Shanghai Conference of China-Africa Hospital Urology Alliance Held at Shanghai General Hospital

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/rI8bwjO7FOYXsM9w-PQQJg

From August 18 to 19, the "2025 Shanghai Conference of China-Africa Hospital Urology Alliance," hosted by the National Health Commission International Exchange and Cooperation Center and organized by Shanghai General Hospital, was successfully held. Urology experts from African countries such as Tunisia, Ethiopia, Senegal, Cameroon, Algeria, Uganda, and South Africa gathered with their Chinese counterparts by the Huangpu River to discuss cooperation and development in urology between China and Africa.

Attendees included Zheng Xingdong, President of Shanghai General Hospital; Xia Shujie, Head of the Urology Clinical Medical Center; Chen Fang, former Party Secretary of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital; Han Bangmin, Vice President of Shanghai General Hospital and Director of the Urology Clinical Medical Center; Liu Fang, Director of the Cooperation and Exchange Department; Jiang Haowen, Director of Urology at Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University; Jing Yifeng, Deputy Director of the Urology Clinical Medical Center and Head of Prostate Surgery at Shanghai General Hospital; Shao Yi, Head of Urinary Stones and Upper Urinary Tract Reconstruction; Cui Di, Associate Chief Physician; Prof. Ahmed Said Zribi, President of the Pan-African Urological Surgeons Association; Mbassi Aurele, Secretary-General; Abdelkrim Boulatrous, Deputy Secretary-General; and Andualem Deneke Beyene, Dean of the College of Health Sciences at Addis Ababa University.

President Zheng Xingdong delivered the welcome speech.

Director Liu Fang introduced the hospital’s development.

Prof. Ahmed Said Zribi addressed the conference.

Prof. Jiang Haowen presided over the meeting.

As a founding member of the China-Africa Hospital Urology Alliance, Shanghai General Hospital has fully leveraged its disciplinary and technological strengths to actively contribute "Chinese wisdom" and "Chinese solutions" to the alliance’s development.

From "Technology Sharing" to "Mechanism Co-Creation"

At the conference, Prof. Xia Shujie outlined the development plan for the China-Africa Hospital Urology Alliance over the next three years. He proposed a path of "technology sharing—facility co-building—mechanism co-creation" to establish a training and exchange center for the alliance, build a standardized training system, cultivate specialized talent, and set up excellence medical centers in 3-5 African countries. Through full exchange and cooperation, the alliance aims to set a benchmark for high-quality collaboration under the "Belt and Road" initiative.

As a founding member, Prof. Xia Shujie emphasized, "The China-Africa Hospital Urology Alliance will pool the medical wisdom of China and Africa, promote overall improvements in urological diagnosis and treatment through joint research, talent cultivation, and experience sharing, and create better medical solutions for patients worldwide."

Shanghai General Hospital’s Expertise Serving China-Africa Health and Well-Being

The urology department at Shanghai General Hospital, established in 1947 with a 78-year history, is a renowned discipline both domestically and internationally. It was recognized as a leading key discipline in Shanghai as early as 1994 and became a national key clinical specialty in 2012. In recent years, leveraging advanced minimally invasive technologies such as fiber thulium laser and surgical robots, the department has not only maintained leading domestic status but also demonstrated strong influence on international academic stages like WCE and MISUR.

African experts visited the hospital’s history museum.

To date, the urology department has held 33 thulium laser elite training sessions, training 300 participants. Relying on its minimally invasive surgery training base, the department has innovatively proposed two teaching strategies: "internal and external high-fidelity simulation" and "simultaneous cultivation of mind and skill." It has attracted international participants from Russia, Indonesia, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, Vietnam, and other countries for exchanges. Meanwhile, through international platforms such as the World Chinese Physicians Association and the World Chinese Urological Surgeons Association, the department actively engages in academic exchanges and cooperation. Additionally, using telemedicine technology, it has established collaboration with medical consortia and county-level alliance hospitals, conducting remote outpatient services, consultations, ward rounds, surgical guidance, and teaching.

African experts visited the urology center.

African experts visited the minimally invasive surgery training base.

In a media interview, Prof. Xia Shujie explained that the urology department has achieved leapfrog development in prostate minimally invasive surgery, progressing from "orange-peeling resection—anatomical enucleation—enucleation and resection." In the future, leveraging the alliance platform, China’s original technologies will be promoted to more regions in China and Africa, benefiting more patients.

Extensive Achievements in China-Africa Ex Through Consultation, Cooperation, and Sharing

During the conference, Chen Fang, former Party Secretary of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, along with Shao Yi and Cui Di from Shanghai General Hospital, engaged in in-depth academic exchanges with African counterparts. Discussions focused on hot topics such as prostate cancer, urinary stones, and bladder exstrophy. Abdelkrim Boulatrous, Deputy Secretary-General of the Pan-African Urological Surgeons Association, delivered a keynote report on "Practical Exploration of Kidney-Sparing Treatment for Renal Cancer." Both sides not only shared the latest scientific research achievements but also jointly explored the optimization of clinical diagnosis and treatment pathways and long-term directions for disciplinary development.

Prof. Chen Fang delivered a lecture.

Prof. Shao Yi delivered a lecture.

Cui Di delivered a lecture.

Prof. Abdelkrim Boulatrous delivered a lecture.

In the surgery observation session, Prof. Han Bangmin, Prof. Jing Yifeng, Prof. Lu Jun, and Prof. Shao Yi demonstrated robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, fiber thulium laser and super-pulse fiber thulium laser prostate enucleation, and flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy, fully showcasing the unique advantages of Chinese innovative technologies in treating urinary system diseases. Chinese and African doctors exchanged operational techniques and surgical key points on-site, laying a solid foundation for cooperation in minimally invasive technology and precision treatment.

Prof. Ahmed Said Zribi, President of the Pan-African Urological Surgeons Association, specifically mentioned during his visit that he had read about the "thulium laser orange-peeling prostatectomy" in the European Urology journal and was delighted to visit the place where the technology originated.

Prof. Han Bangmin demonstrated "robot-assisted radical prostatectomy."

Prof. Jing Yifeng demonstrated "thulium laser prostate enucleation."

Prof. Lu Jun demonstrated "flexible ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy and stone removal."

Prof. Shao Yi demonstrated "flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy and stone removal with a flexible negative pressure suction sheath."

"Sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith" and "extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits" are the philosophy and principles of the China-Africa Hospital Alliance, vividly reflected in this Shanghai conference. As a key initiator of the China-Africa Hospital Urology Alliance, Shanghai General Hospital is contributing its international vision and professional commitment to building a closer China-Africa health partnership, injecting new vitality into the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.