China Sets Up New Health Body After Botched Early Covid Response
- Unit will draft policies on controlling infectious diseases
- Xi Jinping has called for reform of public health systems
WATCH: How Was the Global Covid-19 Response?
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China announced a new disease prevention and control agency under the aegis of its top health body, in what is its biggest move yet to address gaps that caused critical delays in sounding the alarm about Covid-19 when it first emerged in Wuhan in late 2019.
The new National Disease Prevention and Control Bureau will draft policies regarding infectious disease control and provide guidance on the surveillance of epidemics, among other public health mandates, state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday.