China Focus: China revises law to strengthen infectious disease prevention, control

BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday adopted a revised Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, aiming to improve its prevention of epidemics and protect the life and health of its people.

The law, originally enacted in 1989, was updated to address weaknesses exposed during China's response to COVID-19 and elevate proven practices into legal norms, according to an official explanation. The new version of the law will take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

Monitoring and the issuance of early warnings are the first lines of defense against epidemics. China has established the world's largest direct-reporting network for infectious diseases, but it aims to accelerate reporting.

The revised law stipulates that rewards will be granted to those who promptly detect and report emerging infectious diseases or outbreaks of unknown cause, and they will be exempt from liability.

"Primary-level medical personnel are the first to come into contact with infectious disease cases. Allowing them to report directly -- and exempting them from liability for unintentional errors -- will encourage early detection and reporting, which is significant to the prevention and control of newly emerging infectious diseases," said Cai Weiping from the Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital at Guangzhou Medical University.

Lawyer Zhang Yong believes that this change could motivate the public to participate actively in reporting and prevention efforts, enhancing the timeliness and accuracy of reports.

Throughout China's COVID-19 response, coordinated efforts across regions and departments were essential to curbing the spread of the virus in the country.

This approach has been enshrined in the revised law, playing a central role in the improvement of the country's infectious disease prevention and control system.

The country has already explored the establishment of related long-term mechanisms. In September 2024, the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao signed a cooperation agreement on emergency response mechanisms for infectious disease outbreaks. This move will deepen their collaboration and exchange in areas such as information sharing, coordinated emergency response, personnel training and scientific research.

To date, a total of 25 national emergency response teams for acute infectious disease control have been established, and over 3,000 grassroots emergency response squads now fully cover all city and county levels.

Thanks to a continuously refined epidemic prevention and control system, China has achieved remarkable progress in the containment of major infectious diseases, eliminating malaria, achieving a tuberculosis mortality rate that is on par with developed countries, and maintaining a low HIV/AIDS prevalence level. The coverage rate of vaccines included in the national immunization program among eligible children in China had consistently remained above 90 percent.

In addition to building up the system's capacity, the revised law also highlights the protection of personal privacy.

It prohibits the excessive collection of personal data, and states that such information must not be used for purposes unrelated to disease prevention and control.

"This provision reduces the risk of personal information leaks, prevents privacy violations and guards against the misuse of personal data," according to lawyer Fang Yan.

The revision adds a human touch to the prevention and control of infectious diseases, underscoring the country's firm commitment to human rights protection, as well as the practical wisdom behind the modernization of its governance system and capacity, Fang added. ■