China will launch its national center for disease control in order to respond in a highly efficient way to increasing public health problems, according to the Ministry of Health.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, based in Beijing, will lead the nation in disease prevention and control, as well as health promotion, said Wang Huanzeng, a ministry official.
The center will be mainly responsible for monitoring risk factors in the field such as food, working environment, and school, which could endanger the quality of human life and the environment.
The center's surveillance and response measures will also cover infectious and non-infectious illnesses, endemic, occupational diseases, nutrition-related ailments, accidental injuries and poisoning, Wang said.
Specialists at the center will deal with serious epidemics and accidents such as poisoning and contamination. Research and development of vaccines, and epidemiological studies of diseases are also to be carried out.
The functions of the center are currently played by some departments of the ministry and such governmental agencies as the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine and the National Health Education Institute.
(People's Daily January 22, 2002)
