A staff member teaches a woman and a girl how to disinfect their hands while waiting to be registered at the new transit hub venue in the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing, on March 25, 2020. [Photo by Zou Hong/chinadaily.com.cn]

National political advisers have highlighted the urgency of improving the public health emergency management and the country's overall governance system in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a spokesman said on May 20. 

China has made major achievements in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic after arduous efforts, but coping with the new virus also has exposed some deficiency in the country's epidemic prevention and control system and public health emergency management, Guo Weimin, spokesman of the third plenary session of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, said at a news conference.

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, many CPPCC members made proposals on making up for shortfalls in public health emergency management and related topics, Guo said. Proposals include speeding up legislation in public health, enhancing quick response ability for epidemic monitoring, establishing a mechanism integrating modern and traditional Chinese medicine on the prevention and control of major epidemics, and improving the development of hospitals specializing in infectious diseases, he said. 

National political advisers also will discuss these topics during the annual session, which starts on Thursday, Guo said. Other activities, such as inspection tours and biweekly seminars, will be held this year to help them play their role as political advisers, he said.