National Business Daily:

Over the past decade, China's public health system has withstood the challenges of major infectious diseases, including H7N9 avian flu, avian influenza, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. What progress has been made regarding China's health emergency response capacity after rising to public health emergencies so often? Thank you.

Chang Jile:

Thank you. Health emergency response capacity is the embodiment of comprehensive health strength. Over the past decade, relevant departments and local governments have worked together to develop a health emergency response system and core capacity. We have continuously strengthened and improved health emergency management, and comprehensively enhanced the capacity and level of the health emergency response system, which has also played an essential role in maintaining global public health security.

First, China's health emergency response system has taken shape. After many years of unremitting efforts, the legal and management systems of health emergency response have been established, with health emergency response capacity significantly improved. Moreover, China achieved the capacity-building goal required in the International Health Regulations (2005) as scheduled in 2014.

Second, the core capacity of health emergency response has reached an advanced international level. China has built the world's most extensive online direct reporting system for infectious diseases and public health emergencies. The average reporting time for public health emergencies is less than four hours. China is now capable of detecting more than 300 pathogens within 72 hours. A risk assessment system for public health emergencies has been built. Moreover, 59 national health emergency teams in four categories have been set up nationwide.

Third, prevention, control and response to public health emergencies have been carried out scientifically and efficiently. Centering on sources of infection, routes of transmission and susceptible populations, we have strengthened prevention and early warning measures and improved rapid response capacity to ensure effective handling of the incidents. Thanks to these efforts, the total number of public health emergencies and deaths has dropped. Severe and major epidemics have been brought under effective control. In particular, the highly pathogenic avian influenza you just mentioned, including the emerging infectious diseases H7N9 and imported epidemics like MERS, have been successfully dealt with. We have made international contributions to the prevention and control of Ebola hemorrhagic fever and secured major strategic achievements in preventing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.

We will continue to focus on the response to COVID-19, coordinate the prevention and control of multiple diseases and emergency medical relief, and further improve our emergency response capacity to better protect people's health and make greater contributions to building a global community of health for all. Thank you.

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