A deficient public health system as a contributing cause of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in mainland China.

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is a newly emerging infectious disease which spread over 32 countries and areas, infected more than 8,000 people and causing more than 900 deaths from November 2002 to August 2003. More than 90% of the SARS cases and death were reported from China. Nevertheless, we still know little about this disease, particularly in etiology. SARS, as an emergency of Public Health System (PHS), alarmed health workers throughout the world proving there is still the potential for an epidemic of an emerging infection both in developed and developing areas. Many reports indicated that the insufficiency of the PHS of China was one of the critical factors contributing to the outbreak of SARS. In this study, we attempt to demonstrate some of the categories of PHS that contributed to the SARS epidemic. Two of the categories studied were the living environment and health resources. In the living environment area, the population and population density were examined. Health resources include the medical facilities, health workers, and per capita public health expenditures. An understanding of these areas is important to prevent future epidemic.