China mulls law to improve public health emergency reporting system

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers are deliberating a draft law to improve the country's reporting system for public health emergencies.

The draft law on response to public health emergencies was on Tuesday submitted to the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's national legislature, for its second reading.

It stipulates that any individual or group that discovers the occurrence or potential occurrence of a public health emergency should report their discovery immediately.

It would require health authorities and disease prevention and control departments to promptly notify the people's government at their level upon receiving such a report, while also reporting to higher-level departments and relevant State Council departments.

The draft law also specifies that authorities responsible for formulating public health emergency response plans should solicit opinions extensively from relevant departments, organizations, experts and various sectors of society to enhance the scientific rigor, pertinence and operational feasibility of plans. Enditem