Nation's rapid Ebola response 'could prevent an outbreak'

Many of the lessons China learned during the SARS out-break in the early 2000s have subsequently been applied to the management of infectious diseases such as the ongoing Ebola outbreak, despite the low probability of the disease becoming widespread in the country, according to Bernhard Schwartlander, the World Health Organization's representative in China.

China's response to SARS and Ebola has focused on preventing outbreaks, slowing infection rates, arranging treatment programs, and preparing the health services to respond effectively, Schwartlander told China Daily.

"The 2003 experience of SARS in China changed the way in which information was shared and communicated, and quick, transparent, accurate information is one of the key tools that can be used to address an outbreak and avoid miscommunication and panic," he stressed.