Implementing Global Development Initiatives, Deepening 'Belt and Road' Medical Cooperation: Dr. Wang Yan, Director of XMCH, Invited to Academic Exchange in Azerbaijan

From July 25th to 27th local time, Dr. Wang Yan, Director of Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University (XMCH), was invited to Baku, capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan, for academic exchanges and intervention procedural guidance.

Azerbaijan, located in the eastern Caucasus region at the crossroads of Eurasia, is a crucial hub along the Belt and Road Initiative. During this year's Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in July, China and Azerbaijan issued a joint statement formally establishing a strategic partnership. Against this backdrop, Dr. Wang Yan was invited to Azerbaijan for academic visits, where he visited prominent medical institutions in Baku such as The Central Customs Hospital, Baku Medical Plaza, Baku Health Center, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations Hospital. He engaged in academic exchanges with experts including Dr. Ulvi Mirzoyev, the current Chairman of the Azerbaijan National Cardiology Association, and Dr. Rahimov Uzeyir, former Chairman, guiding high-complexity cardiac valve intervention procedures and promoting domestically developed innovative medical devices.

Showcasing Domestic Medical Devices and Innovative Technologies

Dr. Wang Yan showcased VitaFlow®, a domestically developed transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) system, detailed its innovative design, excellent performance, procedural pathways and showed the procedural points combined with images.

Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University (XMCH), jointly established by the National Health Commission and the Fujian Provincial Government, recognized as the National Regional Medical Center for Cardiovascular Disease and a sub-center of the National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Disease. It was one of China's first centers for cardiac valve disease intervention, with Dr. Wang Yan's team achieving several global and national first implants of domestically produced valve intervention devices. The hospital routinely perform various minimally invasive valve procedures, ranking among the nation's leaders in terms of technical difficulty and procedural volume.

Currently, Azerbaijan's field of transcatheter cardiac valve intervention therapy is in its early stages. Dr. Wang Yan deeply exchanged cardiovascular diagnosis and treatment concepts with Azerbaijani experts, introducing the application of innovative technologies from Chinese hospitals and sharing experiences in intervention therapy. Experts present expressed admiration for Chinese devices and technical solutions. This exchange is expected to significantly contribute to the development of local treatments such as TAVR for heart valve interventions, benefiting local patients.

Promoting the Cultivation of International Cardiovascular Specialists

During exchanges with Azerbaijani hospitals, Dr. Wang Yan highlighted a international cardiovascular young physician training program initiated by XMCH, known as the "Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program". Annually, the hospital accepts 15-20 young cardiovascular specialists from BRICS and Belt and Road Initiative countries for training in China. Launched officially by Global Development Promotion Center of CIDCA (China International Development Cooperation Agency) during a high-level thematic promotion event of the Global Development Initiative at the United Nations Headquarters in April 2023, it was subsequently included in the Incubation Pool and the Achievement Pool of the Global Development Project Pool of CIDCA in April of this year. Currently, 13 students from seven countries including Brazil, El Salvador, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar have been accepted for training in Xiamen.

Azerbaijani hospitals commended XMCH for its active contribution to international cardiovascular talent cultivation and global cardiovascular health improvement. Uzeyir Rahimov, director of Baku Medical Plaza, the largest hospital in the region, announced that the hospital will select outstanding students to study at XMCH in September and invited XMCH to perform live surgeries at an international academic conference in the country in September. It also expressed its desire to establish friendly cooperation with XMCH to conduct regular academic exchanges and intervention guidance.

Writing a New Chapter in International Medical Cooperation

In recent years, XMCH has actively implemented the Global Development Initiatives, deepening international medical and health cooperation within the framework of BRICS cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative. In April of this year, the hospital was invited to visit and exchange experiences in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and El Salvador, guiding local hospitals in using domestically developed innovative medical devices to perform surgeries and completing several first-time implants of domestically produced devices overseas or locally. XMCH's exchange and promotion of the latest cardiovascular diagnosis and treatment technologies, as well as original Chinese medical technology and innovative medical devices, have helped promote the overseas expansion of domestically developed innovative medical devices.

This invited visit to Azerbaijan aims to deepen cooperation in the field of medical and health care between China and Azerbaijan, promote the development of local clinical specialties, and establish a platform for exchange and cooperation to help Chinese medical devices go global. In the future, XMCH will continue to explore new models of international exchange and cooperation through a combination of "going out" and "inviting in", making greater contributions to building a global community of health for humanity.