China has built the world's largest network for reporting instances of infectious diseases and public health emergencies so as to ensure timely and accurate monitoring and treatment, a senior health official said on August 28.

All disease control and prevention centers, as well as 98 percent of medical institutions above county level as well as 94 percent of local health agencies have set up systems for real-time reporting on infectious diseases, said Li Bin, Minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Their reports are passed to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

It now takes only four hours for local agencies to detect epidemics and report them to the center, compared with the five days it took before the network was established, Li said.

To strengthen monitoring and early warning systems, 3,486 state-level stations have been set up to monitor 28 infectious diseases, including cholera and flu as well as four disease carriers including mosquitoes, mice, flies and black beetles, she said.

Reporting on student absence due to sickness in middle and primary schools has also been enhanced in order to assist in the prevention of epidemic outbreaks.

Stations for the surveillance of infectious diseases for people entering and exiting the country have been built at 285 ports open to foreign countries and 168 healthcare centers for international travelers.