Eight Chinese college research centers and institutes Friday formed a research alliance to improve medical cooperation with Third World countries, especially African nations.

The alliance aims to improve exchanges and better share resources in the field of medical research, said Han Qide, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), who announced its founding at a seminar here.

Members of the alliance include Peking University Center for African Studies, China Institute of International Studies with the Foreign Ministry and International Poverty Reduction Center in China.

In the past decades China has worked hard to push forward medical cooperation with African countries, Han said.

Since 1963, China has sent more than 17,000 medical workers to Africa, treating more than 20 million patients, and also has provided medicines and helped train medical workers there.

But more efforts were needed to help African countries improve their heath care systems, instead of just sending medical teams, Han said.

Chinese Health Minister Chen Zhu pledged to send another 3,000 medical workers and 100 different types of medicines to less-developed countries and help them train 5,000 doctors in five years.