The International Health Regulations (IHR) is an international legal instrument that is binding for WHO countries across the globe, including China. The IHR requires that contracting states improve and reinforce the ability to handle public health emergencies. Contracting states should adhere to standards in finding, assessing, reporting, notifying and handling emergency cases before June 15, 2012. If a state cannot achieve the standard as scheduled, it can apply to postpone. China submitted an application to the WHO to postpone the deadline two years after taking into account all factors in 2012 . It has made great efforts in the past two years to improve its ability to handle public health emergencies. After assessment , China’s ability to handle public health affairs has now reached the criteria of the IHR.

Since 2012, ministries such as the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC); Ministry of Environmental Protection; Ministry of Agriculture; General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine; State Administration of Work Safety; China Food and Drug Administration; State Forestry Administration; and State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense have paid great attention to build a cooperation system to cope with public health emergencies and strengthen information sharing. They have increased input in the infrastructure of ports, strengthened laboratory monitoring ability in biological safety, and periodically held trainings and rehearsals to improve the ability to handle emergent public health affairs.

At present, China has reached the standards of the IHR in monitoring and handling emergent public health affairs, disease control, prevention of food and drug safety incidents as well as chemical and radioactive incidents. According to an assessment in 2013, the standard rate of relevant department ability to handle public health emergencies has reached 91.5 percent, exceeding the global average of 70 percent and Western Pacific nation averages of 86.4 percent in 2012.

In the future, the NHFPC will further cooperate with relevant departments in order to improve China’s ability to handle different public health emergencies.