With the system in service, China will be able to make weekly reports about epidemic diseases that go rampant in certain areas of the country, publish analytical reports and forecast about development trend of epidemic diseases, and provide government departments with reference materials in their decision making, according to the newspaper.

For a long time, reporting about situation of epidemic diseases across the country were done once a month via mails of manual charts. And when natural disasters took place, reporting by phone was chosen as the main form to air the situation of epidemic diseases in the concerned areas.

The national disease reporting database cost about 400 million yuan (about US$48.2 million) and was finished in three years.

While inviting specialists to design software for the new database, the Chinese Ministry of Health has also organized technical training courses to train qualified administrative personnel for different areas.

Success has been achieved in trial operations in a dozen Chinese provinces and municipalities, said the newspaper.

(Xinhua Mews Agency December 26, 2001)