A national disease prevention and control center will soon be
established to enhance efforts to fight diseases.
The center will focus on conducting investigations, research and
supervision of various diseases and public health problems, and
suggesting corresponding prevention and control measures, sources
with the Ministry of Health said Wednesday.
The center will also provide a scientific basis for the ministry to
make health policies, laws and regulations.
China's present epidemic and disease prevention system has lagged
behind the development of various diseases and public health
problems brought on by industrialization and the aging of the
population, sources said.
Many difficulties in improving the country's health were the result
of the shortage of advanced technologies in preventive medicine,
adequate epidemic supervision and effective health education.
Official figures show that 90 percent of people die from chronic
and non-infectious diseases, such as tumors and blood diseases of
the heart and brain.
At
the same time, China is becoming an "aging society," with 10
percent of its population over 60. This will also bring many public
health problems which will need effective supervision and
study.
The center will also cover the hygienic supervision of food,
workplaces, schools and other public places.
Prevention and control programs against various diseases will be
created by the center, which will also be in charge of evaluating
the development of the programs.
All nation's vaccination programs will be carried out by the center
and its branches, and all the biological products for prevention
will be under the control and management of the center.
(China Daily
08/02/2001)