China's Health Ministry said Tuesday that it will publicize notifiable disease information and public health emergencies from 2004.

A document released by the ministry on Tuesday said the information to be publicized will include the occurrence and spread of notifiable diseases as well as precautionary measures. The ministry will also send out health warnings when necessary.

The 27 notifiable diseases covered by the report system are specified in China's 1989 law on the prevention and control of communicable diseases, and include the plague, cholera, AIDS and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

The ministry will also publicize information on public health emergencies, including the number of people infected, cause of the emergency, and preventative and control measures.

The public can access the ministry's official announcements on its website. The ministry is obliged keep the public informed of the latest information during serious public health disasters.

Authorized by the health ministry, provincial health authorities will also publicize disease information and public health disasters from 2004.

(China Daily December 31, 2003)