China, People's Republic of : Strengthening Health Security in the People's Republic of China Project

Health / Disease control of communicable disease - Health sector development and reform

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) continue to be a significant public health concern and cause of considerable socioeconomic disruption in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Most of these EIDs are zoonoses - diseases that originate from animals. Approximately 60% of all known human infectious diseases in the world and about 75% of EIDs affecting people are zoonotic. EIDs are particularly important because of its complex and uncertain nature with an impact that transcends the health sector. The experiences highlighted by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), both of which are EIDs, demonstrate immediate consequences on health, travel restrictions, social distancing, stringent community quarantine measures, among others. The tremendous effect is equally magnified in the economy, with the slowing down of trade and supply chains, businesses, travel, consumer spending, and overall economic activity. COVID-19 is expected to have serious impact on poverty and welfare, through illness, death, and lost incomes. Economic forecast notes that continued COVID-19 outbreak would cost the PRC as much as $692 billion in economic losses.

The unprecedented impact of COVID-19 outbreak has led to the PRC's renewed interest on the development of focused preparedness and response programs for longer-term health security. The regional and global public goods nature of health, prevention, and control of EIDs is clear, and fundamentally an issue of international security and economic development. Preventing future outbreaks in EID hotspots such as the PRC is an important investment. Additionally, the PRC is at a crucial development phase, and the government requires international support and cooperation to balance development and address challenges posed by future outbreaks.