Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presided over a symposium attended by experts and scholars in Beijing on June 2, 2020. Noting that the people's security is the cornerstone of national security, Xi called for readiness for worst-case scenarios, stronger awareness of potential dangers and constant efforts to forestall major risks in health care.

In the face of the unexpected COVID-19 epidemic, all Chinese people has made the concerted, all-out effortstook and made major strategic achievements in the battle against COVID-19. How to learn from the experience and better protect people's health and guarantee public health safety? People's Daily Online - China Communist Party News takes a look at the President's latest requirements for building a strong public health system and safeguarding people's health.

★ A special symposium after several meetings on the theme of epidemic prevention and control ★

After the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, President Xi Jinping presided over 14 meetings of the Standing Committee of the Central Political Bureau, 4 meetings of the Central Political Bureau, 1 meeting of the Central Committee for the Comprehensive Rule of Law, 1 meeting of the Central Committee for Network Security and Informatization, 2 meetings of the Central Committee for the Comprehensive Deepening of Reform, 1 meeting of the Central Committee for Foreign Affairs, and 1 meeting for Non-Party personages, and made hundreds of important instructions to the central steering group to provide fundamental guidance for the effective prevention and control of the epidemic.

At the symposium held on June 2, Zhong Nanshan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor of respiratory medicine at Guangzhou Medical University, Tong Zhaohui, vice president and chief physician of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, and Zhang Boli, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, put forward their opinions and suggestions on improving the institutional mechanism for prevention and control of major epidemics in China.

This is the first time since the outbreak that General Secretary Xi Jinping has had a meeting with a number of experts and scholars in the field of health care and public administration to sum up their experiences and ask for advice.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi expressed gratitude to the experts and scholars. He exchanged views with each expert and scholar who spoke, gaining a deeper understanding of the situation on a number of issues and asking the parties concerned to study, improve and solve them.

★ People first and life first ★

The CPC Central Committee, in the face of the unexpected COVID-19 epidemic, took the overall situation into account, made resolute decisions, and insisted on putting people's lives and health first.

On May 22, Xi pointed out when attending the deliberations of the Inner Mongolia delegation at the third session of the 13th National People's Congress that the people's life and health should be considered as the top priority. "We are willing to protect people's life and health at all costs," he said.

At the symposium yesterday, Xi again mentioned the "people first". He stressed that the people's security is the cornerstone of national security. Following the principle that nothing matters more than the people's lives, China has unprecedentedly mobilized resources across the country to treat and rescue COVID-19 patients on a large scale, said Xi. From newborns to centenarians, we never leave out any infected person and never give up on any patient. We make sure that no one has to worry about treatment expenses.

"At the time of this epidemic, we resolutely, in order to prevent and control the epidemic, pressed the pause button on economic and social development, and put people's lives and health in the first place at a very high cost. Human life is only once, we do everything to save it from this principle."

★ Five aspects on how to "weave a network" and "build a wall ★

“Only by developing a strong public health system, improving the early warning and response mechanisms, comprehensively enhancing the capacity for prevention, control and treatment, weaving a tight prevention and control network, and consolidating the wall of quarantine, can we provide a strong guarantee for safeguarding the people's health.” At the symposium held yesterday, Xi Jinping elaborated on five aspects of weaving a strong and tight public health protection network.

First, improve the disease prevention and control system.

The disease prevention and control system serves as an important guarantee for protecting people's health and public health security as well as maintaining economic and social stability, he noted.

Xi required efforts to make disease prevention measures more calibrated and effective, calling for greater reform in streamlining systems and mechanisms, clarifying functions and improving professional competence.

Xi required efforts to establish a stable public health investment mechanism.

Xi required efforts to optimize and improve the functional settings of institutions for disease prevention and control, and establish a mechanism for the division of work and collaboration between the upper and lower levels

Xi required efforts to strengthen the capacity of national institutions for disease prevention and control

Xi required efforts to improve the mechanism of linkage between disease control institutions and urban and rural communities

Xi required efforts to innovate the mechanism of medical defense synergy, establish a mechanism of personnel sharing, information sharing, resources sharing and supervision of mutual constraints

Xi required efforts to build the CDC talent team and establish a mechanism for training talent to adapt to the modern CDC system

Xi required efforts to build a number of high-level public health colleges, focusing on training personnel who can solve the practical problems of pathogen identification, epidemic situation research and diagnosis and transmission pattern research, on-site epidemiological investigation, laboratory testing, etc.

Second, boost the early-stage epidemic monitoring and warning capacity

Xi stressed the pressing need for boosting the early-stage epidemic monitoring and warning capacity to improve the public health system.

--To build laboratory testing network

-- To establish a collaborative monitoring mechanism between public health institutions and medical institutions

-- To improve the system of public health emergencies response plans

--To reinforce the knowledge reserve and training drills for grassroots health personnel

--To popularize health emergency knowledge and education

-- Party committees and governments at all levels are asked to put in place public health working mechanisms for the regular study and deployment of epidemic prevention and containment.

Third, establish a sound mechanism for the treatment of major epidemics

Xi Jinping pointed out that we should coordinate the mobilization response of medical and health institutions in emergency situations, regional linkage, personnel mobilization, and establish a sound mechanism for the treatment of major epidemics in a graded, hierarchical and triage manner. He put forward two major "capabilities" and a "network" and required:.

--To strengthen the public hospital infectious disease treatment capacity, improve the construction standards of infectious disease prevention and treatment facilities in general hospitals, and enhance the emergency medical treatment reserve capacity

--To focus on urban communities and rural grassroots, border port cities, county hospitals and traditional Chinese medicine hospitals to improve urban and rural medical services network

--To build national medical centers, regional medical centers and other bases to enhance the ability to treat major infectious diseases

Fourth, carry out public health campaigns

Xi stressed that the public health campaign is a successful practice of our party to apply the mass line to health and disease prevention work. We should promote health in all policies, and integrate the concept of life-cycle health management into the entire process of the urban planning, construction, and management.

Fifth, improve public health emergency laws and regulations

Xi stressed the need to advance the revision of laws including the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases to improve the response measures against major emerging infectious diseases and sudden outbreaks, and clarify the responsibilities of central and local, government and departments, administrative agencies and professional bodies.

★ Xi also emphasized these key points ★

Chinese medicine should inherit the essence, and innovate based on the tradition

Noting that the combination of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine is one of the major characteristics of China's COVID-19 response, Xi urged improving the emergency response and treatment capabilities of TCM hospitals, strengthening the training of TCM professionals to build a national high-caliber TCM professional team for epidemic prevention and treatment and promoting the mutual complementarity and coordinated development of Chinese and Western medicine.

Increas scientific and technological inputs in the health sector

Stating that science and technology are sharp weapons in humanity's battle against diseases, Xi said humanity cannot defeat a major disaster or epidemic without scientific development and technological innovation. We should increase scientific and technological inputs in the health sector, and take advantage of the new national system.

Fulfill the international obligations and show China's sense of responsibility as a major country

Since the epidemic outbreak, China has been upholding the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and working closely with the World Health Organization and related countries, Xi said. China has also actively shared epidemic and virus information, as well as containment experience and measures with the international community. It has provided material and technical support to over 100 countries and international organizations to the best of its ability. China will continue to fulfill its international obligations, fully play its role as the world's biggest supplier of anti-epidemic materials and work together to build a community of health for all.