In the last 12 years, epidemics have affected millions of people in China. Overpopulation and hygiene problems are serious, making it easy for disease to reap havoc in the country. Issues of transparency often make it hard for us to prepare, or to fully understand the severity of the situation.  However, increasing corporation between the World Health Organization (WHO) and China means that these circumstances should improve. Below, we list some of the biggest health threats faced by China in recent years, together with new threats outside of China and how the country, as an emerging world leader, has reacted.

Photo: komonews.com

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), 2002-2003

One of the first epidemics that threw China’s public health infrastructure and administration into the international spotlight, was Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS – a type of atypical pneumonia that killed an estimated 349 people but infected more than 5,300 in China. On November 16, a farmer in Guangdong Province was diagnosed as the first SARS victim. From there, it was taken to Hong Kong where, through a hotel, it was spread to Vietnam and Singapore. Luckily, with SARS, everyone who caught it was able to trace it back to somebody who had had it.

At first, China was subject to a lot of international criticism as a result of the way it dealt with the outbreak, and how little it reported on the outbreak. There was allegedly no sufficient information, inadequate hygiene awareness and the government did not intervene in time.

Singapore and Hong Kong responded very quickly: closing down schools, spreading information on the disease and how to prevent it via all public media outlets, and discouraging the population to go to places with a lot of people. All of those who showed symptoms were instantly quarantined in a contained hospital.

It was not until April 2, 2003 that there were actual reports showing the damage SARS had done in China. The whole situation was very sensitive for leadership, as the epidemic was damaging to the Chinese economy and the way China was perceived abroad. Fortunately 2003 was the last year of any new diagnoses, and SARS has not been diagnosed since.

H1N1 (Swine Flu), 2009-2010

Another epidemic that took China by surprise was H1N1, or Swine Flu, which was also a global epidemic. It hit China especially hard in 2009 and 2010, after further research alleged that a gene variant made Chinese populations more susceptible to the virus.

China quickly took measures, putting everyone who displayed symptoms into quarantine. However, in late 2009 it became clear that Beijing had not fully grasped the severity of the spread, and the quarantine measures were not working. Fortunately the H1N1 strain was eventually halted due to increased cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) after implementing more aggressive quarantine measures, and speeding up the vaccine process.

H7N9 (Avian Flu)
Avian flu has also been a long-term issue that China has been battling. The H7N9 strain, the latest bird flu strain, originated in China in 2013. In order to control the disease, the government has taken measures closing down live bird markets, although there are still fears that the disease will pick back up when the temperatures decline after summer.

Reactions to the Ebola outbreak

With the recent Ebola outbreak, China has reported that it is sending aid to Western African countries in order to help prevent further spreading of Ebola. The mainland has not had any reported cases of Ebola, although a woman who travelled from Africa to Hong Kong has been quarantined with symptoms there.

Chinese netizens have already spent a lot of time discussing the disease online, and have spread rumors throughout the Internet, including one outlandish, but popular rumor that Ebola turns people into zombies. The state media has already sent out message saying this is not the case, and has been aiming at improving awareness of Ebola. On top of this, special channels have been put in place at the airport for those coming in from Western Africa, aiming to secure China from the disease.

WHO Relationship to change

Collaboration between the WHO and China is set to increase and improve, with the main goals outlined in the report as: “strengthen health systems towards universal health coverage”, “reduce morbidity and mortality from major diseases of public health importance and from risks to health and health security”, “reduce inequities in health in the western region of China through subnational public health action”, and, “contribute to strengthening global health through supporting the collaboration of China in the global health arena”. Some of the main focuses lie on improving the disparity between the countryside and the city, which will notably decrease epidemics, as many of them originated in the countryside.

Conclusion

To conclude, China has been improving the way that it deals with epidemics, and has vowed to the WHO, and thus the international community, that they will improve their healthcare domestically, especially in the countryside, and also help contribute more to the international community. Right now, China is setting up precautions to prevent Ebola from entering the country, and Avian flu is being closely monitored too.

However, the issues that persist are universal, and a result of the global world order. For example, one of the reasons why no Ebola vaccine has been created so far is that there is no monetary incentive, with Ebola striking poor communities intermittently.

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Keywords: epidemics in China China dealing with disease