China shortens infectious disease reporting time to four hours

The efficiency of China's Infectious Disease Network Reporting System has greatly improved with the average reporting time shortening to four hours from five days since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), China's National Disease Control and Prevention Administration said on Wednesday. Also, 20 national emergency teams in 17 provinces have been formed for the prevention and control of acute infectious diseases.

During a press briefing held by China's National Health Commission on Wednesday to introduce the advances and achievements of China's health system, Qin Xingqiang, deputy director of the General Affairs Department of China's National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, said that China has established a technical system at the national level for the rapid identification of 300 pathogens within 72 hours.

According to Qin, 100 percent of provincial-level and 90 percent of city-level centers for disease control and prevention (CDCs) have the necessary capabilities for nucleic acid testing and virus isolation.

In addition, the inoculation rate for the vaccines in China's national immunization program has remained above 90 percent. By strategically locating vaccination centers, facilitating online appointments, and providing door-to-door services, the accessibility and convenience of preventive vaccination services have continuously been enhanced.

In terms of the prevention and control of major infectious diseases, the rapid rise of the HIV epidemic in certain areas has been effectively curbed, with the overall prevalence controlled at a low level. The incidence and mortality rates of tuberculosis have remained at relatively low levels, and transmission has been contained in all the counties with endemic bilharzia, also known as "snail fever."

Qin said that China's laws and regulations, as well as the policy system for the emergency response to infectious diseases, have been continuously improving, with the emergency management system being optimized. A comprehensive infectious disease emergency response system led by emergency plans for sudden public health events and covering multiple diseases, and spanning four levels - national, provincial, city and county - has been established.

With the support of national and provincial CDCs, 20 national emergency teams for the prevention and control of acute infectious diseases have been established, covering a range of 17 provinces, Qin said.

In the next phase, the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration will further enhance the emergency response capacity for major outbreaks by formulating graded and classified emergency plans.