To continuously strengthen the national infectious disease testing network, the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Centers for Disease Control (hereafter referred to as the CDC) and the Ministry of National Defense’s Military Medical Corps (hereafter referred to as the Military Medical Corps) completed the signing of the “Cooperation Agreement for 2017‑2021” today (the 17th), and held a signing ceremony at the CDC. Both parties uphold the spirit of “integrated epidemic prevention” and continue their close partnership. In the future, the CDC will collaborate with the Institute of Preventive Medicine of the National Defense Medical College under the Military Medical Corps (hereafter referred to as the Institute), continuously strengthening testing capabilities for emerging infectious diseases, high‑risk pathogens, and suspected bioterrorism incidents in the country, and by integrating testing resources, enhancing the response capacity for various infectious diseases, and improving the nation’s public health resilience.
The CDC stated that the signing ceremony was signed on behalf of the agencies by CDC Director Luo Yijun and Military Medical Corps Director Chen Yuanhao, with other distinguished guests including National Defense Medical College President Lin Zhiyuan, Institute Director Meng En, Military Medical Corps Health and Welfare Department Director Cai Shihong, Health and Welfare Department Section Chief Chen Zongyi, Health and Welfare Department Editorial Officer Zhu Yulian, National Defense Medical College Research and Development Department Director Xu Jiafu, National Defense Medical College Institute of Preventive Medicine R&D Office Director Ye Jiacui, and Institute R&D Office Research Development Officer Zhang Tianyao, among others, jointly witnessing this important moment of deepening cooperation between the two sides.
The CDC emphasized that since 2013, the agency and the Military Medical Corps have established a cooperation mechanism, with the Institute, which houses the nation’s only Biosafety Level 4 (BSL‑4) laboratory, assisting in conducting “high‑risk pathogen and regulated toxin testing.” Over the past 14 years, the range of tests covered by this mechanism has expanded annually, encompassing not only routine testing for emerging infectious diseases such as smallpox, Rift Valley fever, Ebola virus infection, Lassa fever, and monkeypox, but also emergency or special tests required for suspected bioterrorism incidents and major epidemic responses, comprehensively blocking various infectious disease threats to the health of the public.
The CDC noted that the continuation of this cooperation not only represents the practical implementation of “integrated epidemic prevention” by government departments, but also symbolizes the horizontal integration of defense and public health resources and capacities, successfully building a more resilient national team for infectious disease testing. In the future, both sides will continue to stand their ground, promptly initiating diversified response strategies based on domestic and international epidemic trends, jointly protecting the health of the people.
Source: CDC
Data compiled by: Infection Control Office
