And I touched the shoulder of another child, sitting up, on the way to recovery, through prompt and effective anti-malarial treatment, and shared the joy of the mother’s relief.
We are not just dealing with diseases. We are dealing with people. And we must always keep people in mind.
PD Online: What do you think about China’s current response system to public health emergencies? Compared with other countries, what are its advantages and disadvantages? What global experiences can we learn from?
Chan: China has made tremendous efforts to build an effective response system to public health emergencies. The government has devoted massive funding to excellent infrastructure at several levels including new buildings and equipment at the provincial and national levels.
China has established its much faster reporting and response system after SARS, including a national-wide web-based disease and public health emergency reporting and alert system.
The national Communicable Disease Law has been revised and the new public health emergency regulations and policies have been developed to support the management of public health emergencies.
Young Chinese staff have benefited from very good public health training programs in many universities in the country.
I can mention the introduction of best and innovative practices for reporting and responding to notifiable infectious diseases. The country has proved its ability to respond rapidly and effectively to a public health emergency once the threat is recognized. This is the case not only for large scale health related events but also regular events. This is a reflection of strong leadership and commitment.
Given China's large population and experiences in public health response in the domestic and international arenas, I believe that China can and will play a leading role in promoting global health security.
PD Online: In your opinion, what are the problems for the disease control system of China? What needs to be improved?
Chan: Despite these major achievements, there is always room for improvement. We know that early detection of serious diseases, and efficient and effective response, are continuing challenges not only for China, but also for the international community and for WHO.
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