By Wang Di and Shao Longfei
BEIJING, Dec. 15 -- The International Committee on Military Medicine (ICMM) Beijing Symposium hosted by the Academy of Military Medical Sciences under the PLA Academy of Military Sciences was held in early December.
Over 80 representatives from home and abroad including Major General Andreas Stettbacher, Chairman of the ICMM , Major General (ret.) Geert Laire, Secretary-General of the ICMM, Jacques Pellet, personal envoy of the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for China , as well as officials from the Health Bureau of the Logistic Support Department of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences participated in the symposium in the form of online and on-site attendance.
Ten experts and scholars from seven countries, focusing on the theme of "Pandemic Response and Military Medicine ", discussed and exchanged a series of original ideas and provided constructive methods on topics including the role and challenges of military medicine in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, military medical organization and support for the pandemic, and peacekeeping operations amid the pandemic, etc. They also spoke highly of China's achievements in the fight against COVID-19 and the important role played by the Chinese military in response to the pandemic.
During the conference, topics such as how the military can shoulder the mission of maintaining world health and responding to the challenges of the pandemic, as well as how to better play the military's special role in responding to major public health incidents, were also discussed. The participants exchanged information on prevention and control organizations, medical technology and other aspects, and shared the experience in military-civilian cooperation and the joint fight against the pandemic.
The ICMM was established in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, in 1921. It is currently the world's largest intergovernmental organization in the field of military medicine with 119 member states, aiming to maintain the Geneva Conventions, advocate humanitarianism, protect war victims, improve treatment conditions for the wounded and sick, promote academic exchanges and development of military medicine, and improve the level of military medicine in various countries.