With the COVID-19 pandemic still spreading globally, the “International Joint Laboratory on Tropical Diseases Control in Greater Mekong Subregion” was unveiled on October 22, 2021. The launching ceremony of the laboratory witnessed an important historical moment in the cooperation of infectious diseases control between China and Laos.

Supported by the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, the international joint laboratory on tropical diseases in the Greater Mekong Sub-region will be set up by Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research and Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute. The laboratory aims to strengthen China’s participation in global health governance and is believed to make breakthroughs in talent training, scientific research and strategy transformation in Greater Mekong Subregion with the joint support of all parties.

The Leadership from different institutions attended the launching ceremony, including Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Consulate General of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in Shanghai, and Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute as well as more than 50 scholars and students from China and Laos.

Consul General of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to Shanghai delivered a congratulatory speech at the ceremony, fully affirming the significance of the establishment of the International Joint Laboratory and expressing best wishes and support for all participants from China and Laos. After the launching ceremony, the Consul General visited the History Museum of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

The COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting the world, sparking new thinking about infectious diseases. Cooperation is the most effective way to control infectious diseases on the earth. Chinese government proposed “Belt and Road” initiative, which aims at strengthening cooperation among relevant countries in many fields, including public health. China and Laos have a long history of cooperation in the field of tropical diseases. The Regional Network of Asian Schistosomiasis and Other Important Helminth Zoonoses (RNAS+) has been jointly established and maintained for more than 20 years. The establishment of the International Joint Laboratory on Tropical Disease is another step forward in China-Laos cooperation in tropical diseases.