China's ongoing people's war against COVID19 epidemic can lend many lessons and inspirations to the international community for combating pandemics in the future, experts from a Shanghai-based think tank said in a report published Friday.

“Although the COVID-19 epidemic continues, China is well-positioned to win the ultimate victory against it,” the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies said in an update on China's fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The think tank summarized three key lessons this monumental event offers China and the world regarding international cooperation on global public health emergencies.

First, a globalized world featuring more densely-populated metropolitan areas with higher population mobility poses unique challenges for epidemic prevention and control. Although mega-cities have generally established full-fledged public health emergency response mechanisms, yet economic, political, social, and security concerns all magnify decision-makers' and the public's sensitivity to the outbreak of infectious diseases. Therefore, emergency response mechanisms, social mobilization systems, and reserve systems for strategic assets must be institutionalized in mega-cities. Besides, the competence of community-level officials and individuals’ public health awareness need to be improved through more training courses and mass education programs.

Second, China's cross-region medical supply systems and coordinating networks for medical experts are playing a decisive role in the current war against COVID-19 epidemic. Rallying more than 10,000 medical professionals and coordinating huge amounts of medical materials to reinforce Wuhan's public health systems at short notice is not only a result of the full functioning of the central and local governments, but also thanks to efficient logistics and professional/resource allocation. For sure, China can share its challenges and good practices with the international community.

Last but not least, international cooperation proves increasingly important in the war against COVID-19 epidemic. In partnership with China, the WHO has been closely monitoring the epidemic and coordinating a concerted international response. National governments across the world have also extended a helping hand. As of February 7, more than 30 countries, including developing countries with medical supply shortages like Pakistan and Myanmar, have donated medical materials to China. Such acts of international humanitarianism indicate that in times of global emergency, international solidarity and coordination, rather than extreme rhetoric and excessive reaction, is what is needed for the well-being of the international community. For, as the Chinese saying goes, “Saving him to whom you’re tied from the river is saving yourself.”

Read the full report

A Decisive Stage for China's Fight against COVID-19 Epidemic