Following SARS, changes were made in China to improve public health emergency responses. These included the establishment of a new system for reporting infectious diseases and considerable investment in the public health system. However, these changes fell short of those required to deal with a COVID-scale pandemic. In my talk, I will discuss some of the lessons and changes resulting from the SARS and COVID experiences with some suggestions for future research.

Dr Wenmin Li is Professor, School of Public Administration, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, PRC and is also currently a Visiting Scholar with the Oxford Centre for the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology.