During a press conference on September 12th hosted by the State Council Information Office, Wang Hesheng, the Deputy Director of the National Health Commission and Head of the National Disease Control Bureau, discussed recent advancements in disease prevention and control over the past six months. He emphasized the establishment of biosafety level 3 laboratories in 23 provinces, as well as the capability of all provincial and 90% of municipal disease control centers to conduct virus testing and isolation.

When asked about the progress made since the State Council issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting High-Quality Development in Disease Prevention and Control” last year, Wang highlighted the central government’s commitment to reforming and enhancing the disease control system. He pointed out three key areas of progress: system reformation, innovative mechanisms, and enhanced capabilities.

To begin with, significant progress has been made in restructuring the system. Disease control offices have been officially established at various levels, with national and provincial centers adopting the designation of Preventive Medicine Academy. The construction of two national key laboratories, nine provincial key laboratories, and the establishment of 15 national regional public health centers have all contributed to a comprehensive disease control framework. The professional workforce has also improved, with personnel in disease control and supervision reaching 305,000 by the end of 2023, a 14% increase since 2019. Furthermore, the proportion of team members holding bachelor’s degrees or higher has risen to 61.7%, marking an increase of 15.6 percentage points since 2019. Importantly, the percentage of senior professional technical positions at the Chinese Center for Disease Control has climbed to 55%, with 24 provincial disease control centers exceeding 40%.

In addition, innovative work mechanisms have been developed. The collaborative prevention and control mechanism has expanded to address new and significant infectious diseases, with continual optimization of its structural and operational forms. Recently, collaboration agreements for emergency responses to infectious disease outbreaks were signed with the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions. A new coordination mechanism between medical and preventive efforts has also been introduced, outlining 33 responsibilities for disease control within medical institutions to reinforce accountability. A pilot program for disease control supervisors in medical facilities is now being implemented across all provinces, fostering deeper collaboration between disease control and healthcare institutions. Additionally, there is an annual high-level public health talent support program to select and train top professionals.

Lastly, the core capabilities are continually improving. This year, the National Disease Control Bureau launched a comprehensive training initiative aimed at enhancing professional skills throughout the system. Regarding monitoring and early warning, national infectious disease monitoring software has been rolled out in public medical facilities at level two and above, aiding information exchange. On the epidemiological front, the central government has trained over 4,000 key personnel and organized a national occupational skills competition in this field, attracting more than 30,000 participants. In the area of laboratory testing, an advanced pathogen detection system has been established, enabling the confirmation of over 300 known pathogens within 24 hours and the identification of new pathogens within 60 hours. Currently, 23 provinces have biosafety level 3 laboratories, and all provincial and 90% of municipal disease control centers are equipped for virus testing and isolation. By the end of this year, there will be 25 national teams focused on responding to acute infectious diseases, with grassroots teams covering all municipalities and counties.