When news of a mysterious infectious disease in North America first emerged in late April, the question on many people's minds was: Is this another SARS? Asian countries like China are still haunted by the 2003 specter of the severe acute respiratory syndrome or (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people worldwide, seriously challenged healthcare systems and had a devastating impact on economies.

But this time it was found that the virus was influenza A(H1N1), a re-assortment of swine flu from North America, Asia and Europe, as well as bird flu and human influenza. This new virus has not been seen before in humans and animals, sparking urgent international efforts to study its clinical features, epidemiology and impact on global public health.

Today, the world is better equipped to respond to outbreaks of infectious diseases. SARS awakened the international community to the need for preparedness through enhancing disease surveillance and investing in healthcare systems and resources. SARS was also an impetus for revising the International Health Regulations (2005), one of the most important landmarks in global public health this decade.

At the national level, China offers a good example of how far we have come on disease control since SARS. Based on the experiences and lessons learnt from SARS, the State Council in May 2003 issued a new Regulation on Public Health Emergency Response to strengthen surveillance for new disease outbreaks and to improve reporting and response in cooperation with technical agencies. The National Law on Communicable Disease Prevention and Control was revised in August 2004.

In recent years, China has developed a national pandemic preparedness and response plan to cope with the threat of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. The government has invested in healthcare facilities and strengthened laboratory services and diagnostic capabilities. In addition, health workers at all levels have been trained in technical and other areas such as risk communications.

Three weeks ago, after the World Health Organization (WHO) informed the Chinese Ministry of Health about the outbreak of A(H1N1) in North America, the plan originally designed for H5N1 was activated with the same effect.

China immediately enhanced its surveillance system and alerted healthcare workers at all levels to report any unusual influenza-like symptoms. The flow of information between WHO and the Ministry of Health has been swift and transparent, with daily calls and meetings to exchange information on global and national developments.

Right from the beginning, there has been a high-level political commitment to prevent and control the spread of A(H1N1) in China. Eight working groups have been set up with officials from ministries such as health, agriculture, foreign affairs, commerce, and science and technology, and agencies like China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. Such a multi-sector coordination is crucial because if a pandemic breaks out, it will affect not just the health sector but also potentially every sector of society.

China's experience shows that the same actions and responses can be applied to different types of emerging infectious diseases such as pandemic flu. Long-term investments in preparedness do pay off.