China Implements Four-Tier Risk Assessment System for Infectious Disease Early Warning

Recently, China announced the launch of a four-tier risk assessment framework designed to bolster the country’s capacity for early warnings related to infectious diseases. This system, outlined in a guideline from the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, aims to address potential health threats posed by a variety of infectious diseases, including 41 notifiable diseases and newly emerging infections that may have unidentified causes.

According to the new regulations, local disease control organizations are mandated to gather data about infectious disease trends from various sources to perform risk evaluations. Risks are categorized into four levels, ranging from extremely low to high. An assessment of extremely low risk only necessitates routine monitoring, while a low-risk classification triggers the need to inform the public through health risk advisories that detail the disease's characteristics, symptoms, monitoring results, and recommended preventive measures in a clear and accessible manner.

For those classified at medium risk, healthcare facilities and related agencies must adopt specific precautionary actions. Disease control officials may consider issuing warnings, aimed at relevant government departments and healthcare providers, which outline the risks associated with the disease, affected geographical regions, trends of the outbreak, and recommendations for training, preparedness, and control strategies.

In cases deemed high risk, disease control authorities must report their findings to relevant governing bodies within two hours, following which experts will assess the epidemic's severity to decide on issuing an alert that could prompt government action. The guidelines also encourage utilizing digital technologies to establish warning thresholds and propose the development of an extensive epidemic database along with algorithm models to enhance early warning systems that can respond quickly to outbreaks.

The framework emphasizes the necessity of providing adequate resources—such as personnel, funding, equipment, and supportive policies—and stresses the importance of inter-departmental collaboration to ensure effective early warning operations. The goal is to deliver early warning information that is precise, reliable, and sensitive to privacy considerations.

By 2030, China aspires to establish a highly efficient infectious disease early warning mechanism characterized by multiple triggers and rapid information dissemination, positioning itself as a leader in global epidemic detection and management. As part of these efforts, comprehensive surveillance has been conducted across various health facilities, with a significant number of public hospitals now adopting advanced surveillance technologies to enhance their analysis and response capabilities in relation to infectious diseases.