On September 12th, the State Council Information Office hosted a press conference featuring Wang Hesheng, the Deputy Director of the National Health Commission and the Director of the National Disease Control Bureau. He underscored the importance of enhancing monitoring and early warning systems to effectively manage the health risks posed by infectious disease outbreaks. Wang highlighted that the National Disease Control Bureau has prioritized the development of a robust infectious disease monitoring and early warning framework, guided by top-level strategic design and focused on critical issues.
This press conference was part of a series themed “Driving High-Quality Development.” Attendees included Lei Haichao, Director of the National Health Commission, and Yu Yanhong, Director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, who engaged with journalists in Beijing.
Wang elaborated on the recent advancements made in the fight against infectious diseases. He noted that, with support from various government departments, including those focused on finance and customs, the National Disease Control Bureau has established ten monitoring systems across sentinel hospitals, implemented virus mutation tracking, and analyzed urban wastewater. This comprehensive approach has effectively supported early warning capabilities for infectious disease outbreaks.
As he addressed the rising intersection of respiratory viral infections, such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and mycoplasma pneumonia, Wang announced the launch of a detailed monitoring initiative for 15 common respiratory pathogens. This project enables simultaneous monitoring across various diseases, providing real-time insights into epidemiological trends and pathogen distributions, which significantly enhances clinical treatment and public health interventions.
Additionally, Wang unveiled plans to expedite the development of an infectious disease monitoring, early warning, and emergency command information platform. Building on pilot projects in Tianjin, Hubei, and Anhui, the National Disease Control Bureau aims to deploy advanced monitoring and early warning software across healthcare institutions nationwide, ensuring effective communication regarding infection data.
With the recent approval from the State Council, nine governmental departments have collaboratively released guidelines aimed at establishing an intelligent, multi-trigger infectious disease monitoring and early warning system by the year 2030. The objective is to achieve early detection, scientific assessment, and timely warning capabilities that align with international standards. Wang emphasized the necessity of implementing these guidelines with a focus on three critical themes: collaboration from multiple sources, integration of intelligent technology, and standardized management practices.
Specifically, he outlined the following focus areas:
1. Enhancing early detection capabilities through multi-channel monitoring, which includes improving the infectious disease online reporting system and bolstering the active monitoring networks of sentinel hospitals, monitoring stations, and networked laboratories.
2. Leveraging new technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence to elevate the sophistication of monitoring and early warning systems, facilitating the automatic capture and reporting of abnormal signals through a unified monitoring framework.
3. Streamlining standardized management procedures to improve the timeliness of risk assessments and alerts by refining monitoring systems, risk evaluation protocols, and ensuring prompt communication of health risk notifications, thereby strengthening coordination with epidemic control efforts and emergency response measures.
