Research Article

Strengthening the Frontline: A Qualitative Evaluation of Emergency Response Capacity at Grassroots CDCs in Post-Pandemic China

DOI:

10.3791/69946

December 23rd, 2025

In This Article

Summary

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This qualitative study evaluated the emergency response capacity of grassroots CDCs in Jiangxi, China, through interviews with 35 employees from 7 grassroots CDCs. It identified key challenges in human resources, infrastructure, and early warning systems, providing evidence for strengthening public health emergency preparedness.

Abstract

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As the first responders in public health emergencies, grassroots Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) play a critical role in emergency response efforts. Thus, it is essential to thoroughly understand and improve their capabilities to handle public health emergencies effectively.

Qualitative interviews involved 35 employees from 7 grassroots CDCs in Jiangxi province who were actively engaged in or responsible for managing public health emergencies. Both literature research and qualitative research methods were utilized to gather relevant insights and information.

Analysis of the data resulted in the emergence of three themes and eight sub-themes. The findings suggest deficiencies in the authorized strength of grassroots CDCs, with varying talent quality in their emergency response teams. Low remuneration leads to talent attrition and recruitment challenges, while the personnel face heavy workloads and significant psychological stress. Although there have been some improvements in hardware facilities, grassroots CDCs' overall predictive and early warning capabilities remain weak.

In conclusion, to enhance the capacity of grassroots CDCs in responding to and managing public health emergencies, it is essential to focus on recruiting and training personnel with expertise in epidemiological investigation, data analysis, and early warning systems, and to continuously improve their capabilities. Additionally, it is crucial to enhance the predictive and early warning capabilities of these institutions.

Introduction

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Public health emergencies refer to sudden occurrences of diseases or health events with large-scale and serious hazards that have a significant impact on public health and social stability1. Such events may be caused by infectious diseases, natural disasters, environmental pollution, and other factors, such as influenza epidemics, earthquakes, chemical leaks, etc. Within the past two decades, acute infectious diseases have contributed significantly to the emergence of public health emergencies worldwide, posing severe threats to both global health and the economy2,3. In recent years, Ch....

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Protocol

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This study was approved by the Ethical Review Committee of Xinyu University (Approval Number: 2020076). Prior to any involvement, potential participants were comprehensively informed about the study's aims, significance, potential benefits, and risks, and were assured of their right to withdraw voluntarily at any time. Strict confidentiality was maintained by anonymizing all data and using secure storage. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant only after confirming their complete understanding of the study.

Study design
We employed a qualitative research design and conducted semi-structured in....

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Results

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Demographic information of interviewees
A total of 28 frontline healthcare professionals and 7 emergency managers actively responding to the COVID-19 pandemic were interviewed for this study. Detailed demographic information is presented in Table 1.

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Frontline health profess-sionals (N=28, %)Emergency managers (N=7, %)

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Discussion

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Our findings indicated that grassroots CDCs face shortages in both the quantity and quality of public health personnel, consistent with previous studies3. Liu et al. found that most grassroots CDCs suffer from limited authorized strength and lack emergency personnel4. A survey conducted at grassroots CDCs in Shenzhen revealed that emergency personnel accounted for less than 50% of their workforce, and there was a lack of a dedicated emergency management department

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Disclosures

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgements

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This study was supported by the Social Science Planning Project of Jiangxi Province (20SH17).

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Materials

List of materials used in this article
NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
NVivo 8.0 softwareQSR InternationalNVivo 8.0Qualitative data analysis software for coding and theme derivation
Tencent MeetingsTencent Holdings LtdN/AOnline video conferencing platform used for remote interviews

References

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  1. Oyebanji, O., et al. Building local capacity for emergency coordination: Establishment of subnational public health emergency operations centres in Nigeria. BMJ Glob Health. 6 (10), e007203(2021).
  2. Van Der Ende, J., Dávila Campos, V., Grobusch, M. P., Hanscheid, T.

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Tags

Emergency ResponseGrassroots CDCsPublic Health EmergenciesQualitative EvaluationEmergency Response CapacityEpidemiological InvestigationEarly Warning SystemsTalent RecruitmentPsychological StressData Analysis

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