Interview: China plays key role in global response to COVID-19, says Pakistani health scientist

ISLAMABAD -- China has played a key role in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing medical supplies and health assistance to other countries, a Pakistani public health specialist told Xinhua in an interview.

"In terms of contributions to the global fight against the epidemic, China has provided significant assistance to other countries through donations of medical support, equipment and other forms of aid," said Bilal Ahmad, a public health scientist at Pakistan's Central Care, an international non-governmental organization working in health and education.

China has also shared its experience and knowledge with other countries and participated in international efforts to develop vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, he added.

In terms of healthcare, Ahmad said, China increased its capacity to treat COVID-19 patients rapidly, adding that it had also developed and approved several vaccines, which have been used to immunize large portions of people at home and across the world.

The health scientist noted that China's efforts to contain the spread of the virus had been widely acknowledged by the international community.

Highlighting the recent optimization of China's pandemic response measures, Ahmad said that countries must be flexible and adaptable in their approach to preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19.

There are many factors that can influence the epidemic prevention policies, such as the prevalence of the virus in a given area, the capacity of the healthcare system to cope with new cases, and the potential impact on the economy and society, he said.

"Governments will consider all of these factors when making decisions about epidemic prevention policies and base their decisions on the best available scientific evidence and expert advice," the health scientist added.

He said that China kept adopting a scientific approach against the virus since the beginning of the outbreak while employing strong economic fundamentals and measures to stimulate demand.

Ahmad noted that China has made significant efforts to support its economy and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on society, and its response actions to COVID-19 have also had a positive impact on the global economy.

China is a major player in the global economy, and its efforts to stabilize its own economy while supporting global trade and investment have been beneficial to other countries as well, he added.