China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) held a meeting on infectious disease prevention and control for this spring and summer, in the city of Ma’anshan, Anhui province, on March 24, with Li Bin, a minister with the commission, on hand to address the gathering, with a vice-minister, Wang Guoqiang, providing a summary of the work.

Li called for greater attention to be given to infectious disease prevention and control this year and greater preparation for emergencies and clarification of work responsibilities and task. She also asked personnel involved to keep a close watch on major sites, diseases, and focus groups and a greater effort in health education for the public to promote healthier lifestyles.

Wang said that everyone involved needs to heed Li's call and give priority to disease prevention, with traditional Chinese and western medicines, and find ways to safeguard public health and boost healthy social development.

Also at the meeting was Wang Yu, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, who described the measles and dengue situation in China in spring and summer, and Yu Jingjin, director general of the NHFPC's Disease Prevention and Control Bureau who analyzed the new issues China faces in infectious disease prevention and control. Yu then asked everyone involved to adjust their thinking at work and strengthen disease control capacity. Also present at the meeting were officials from health and family planning commissions from various provinces, regions and municipalities, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps disease control office, and experts from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.