China has 'reshaped' disease control system in 5 ways: NHC deputy head

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Wang Hesheng, deputy head of the National Health Commission and director of the NDCPA, talks with reporters at a press conference, Beijing, China, March 9, 2024. /CMG

China has "reshaped the system" of disease control since the establishment of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (NDCPA) in 2021, said Wang Hesheng, deputy head of the National Health Commission and director of the NDCPA, at a press conference on Saturday.

The reshaping mainly focused on upgrading five parts of the system, including monitoring, emergency measures, technology, supervision and popularizing health knowledge, Wang said.

As a result, average reporting time of infectious diseases has shortened from five days to four hours, Wang told reporters, adding that the incidence of many diseases has reached a historic low, like measles, epidemic encephalitis B and epidemic meningitis.

China was certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021. Wang said the country has put many other diseases under control, including but not limited to AIDS and hepatitis B.

Wang also commented on the recent health discussions around "disease X" – a placeholder name used by the WHO to describe a pandemic pathogen that has not yet been characterized.

"Diseases respect no borders," Wang told reporters. "It requires joint global efforts to put a pandemic under control."

China will work with other countries and international organizations and make its unique contribution to a healthier world, Wang added.