PHOTO: VCG

By CHEN Chunyou

The State Council has issued a guideline to promote the high-quality development of disease prevention and control on December 27, 2023.

The objective of this guideline is to establish a multi-departmental and cross-regional joint prevention and control mechanism by 2030. The mechanism aims to coordinate the resources of various specialized medical institutions and grassroots medical and health institutions, to establish a unified and efficient infectious disease monitoring and emergency command system.

The Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, along with related provincial academies of preventive medicine and medical institutions of infectious diseases, will play a leading role in building key platforms and laboratories. These initiatives seek to enhance the capacity for sci-tech innovation in disease control, and the transformation and application of research results.

Centers for disease control and prevention are encouraged to build cooperative platforms with medical institutions, universities, research institutes and enterprises, so as to take full advantage of each other's resources.

Meanwhile, the academies in preventive medicine are expected to enhance their public health innovation capacity, and build a research base for infectious disease prevention and control, with a focus on strengthening research in prevention and control strategies and measures for major diseases and health hazards, as well as key technologies and equipment.

The related departments and institutes are encouraged to deepen cooperation with other countries and regions in the prevention and control of infectious diseases. Special emphasis is placed on cross-border joint prevention and information exchange.

China will also positively contribute to cultivating global public health professionals, and building think tanks. Meanwhile, the country will actively carry out foreign aid in the public health sector, and promote the building of a human health community.