Ready to fight disease without borders

Speed is essential for managing Ebola, and quick diagnosis close to the case is critical to timely treatment. China should be commended for both the speed and substance with which it has responded to the World Health Organization's call for help to fight Ebola.

Second, and closer to home, China has to ensure its own systems are battle ready to respond to an Ebola case. And it has already done that thanks to the lessons learned from SARS outbreak in 2003.

Over the last decade, China has upgraded its general screening and detection capacity at 259 points of entry into the country, including airports. This long-term capacity building stands China in good stead now. In August, China further strengthened these systems after the WHO declared the Ebola outbreak a global emergency.

Clear and tested protocols are in place today to identify and manage incoming passengers who may have Ebola-like symptoms such as fever, and passengers who have been in Ebola-affected countries and exposed to the virus. In Guangzhou, for example, visitors from Ebola-hit countries to the Canton Fair were given pre-paid cell phones with phone numbers of health facilities to be called if necessary.

But border screening alone will not prevent a person with Ebola patient case from entering China. Since the disease has an incubation period of 21 days, it is possible that, even with the most sophisticated screening systems, a person carrying the virus could enter the country without being detected at an entry point. That's where a well-prepared medical network and good public information system are crucial.

Overall, China has a strong public health system, and it seems well prepared to respond to an Ebola case. For instance, it has devised special infection control guidelines and trained medical personnel to deal with emergencies. A series of hospitals have been designated to treat people infected or suspected of being infected with Ebola, and ambulances are on standby. I personally inspected Beijing's Ditan Hospital, one of the designated Ebola hospitals, and was impressed with what I saw.

Although the possibility of an Ebola patient reaching China cannot be ruled out, the risk of the virus spreading is low because of the safety and response network in place. That, however, does not mean China (or any other country with strong response mechanisms) should be complacent. It can use global experience to identify possible gaps in the response system and continuously improve it.

Diseases like Ebola do not respect international borders. Therefore, by helping to fight Ebola at the source, China is ensuring that its borders remain safe.

The author is WHO representative in China.

Previous Page 1 2 Next Page

Previous Page 1 2 Next Page