Try as it may, China has failed to remain immune to the sprawling A/H1N1 flu that has swept the globe. By 6:00 p.m. on June 11, there had been 125 confirmed cases of the virus on the Chinese mainland, while 60 of the affected had returned to normal health. Serious as the flu is, since the first confirmed case was reported on May 11, there have to date been no fatalities on the Chinese mainland.

This relatively controlled situation can be attributed to the significance the Chinese Government attached to the country's health and disease control system in the wake of the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) six years ago. The ongoing A/H1N1 flu is the first big health emergency test for the reformed public health system.

China reconfigured its disease prevention system after SARS to deal with future public health emergencies, and modified its crisis response mechanism. In 2003 China panicked when SARS raged across the country, but today there is a quiet confidence as the nation faces the A/H1N1 epidemic.

Soon after the first case was reported, the Chinese Government quickly made public the development of the disease, enhanced entry-exit inspection and quarantined close contacts of flu victims for observation. Those measures effectively prevent the disease from spreading and have bought time for medical institutions and pharmaceutical enterprises to find ways to deal with the problem.

In order to prevent the spread of A/H1N1 flu, China quickly motivated local governments and established a joint control mechanism, which required concerted efforts from a number of stakeholders. Under such a mechanism, an expert panel and eight working groups that consist of representatives of 33 government departments were established.

On June 8, a biotech company in Beijing announced it had officially started mass A/H1N1 vaccine production after it acquired flu strain samples from the World Health Organization.

Apart from the scientific aspects of the prevention process, a big part of the success of this ongoing campaign is public awareness. Domestic media and the public called for self-quarantine of those returning from flu-stricken areas. People with fever or having had close contact with infected individuals are told to go to hospital and take necessary measures in cooperation with public health departments. These are all measures that are proving effective.

Nipping the problem in the bud is essential given China's national conditions. The huge population, high labor mobility and volume of foreign travel add pressure to disease control in the country. Meanwhile, the public health system and medical treatment resources are relatively weak, in particular in rural areas. As a result, once a weak link is found in the disease control chain, it would be more difficult to control compared with developed countries, which enjoy a mature public health system and abundant medical resources.