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Joining Hands to Manage Transboundary Crises: A Comparative Evaluation of Policy Collaboration for Epidemic Prevention in China during SARS and COVID-19

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2024

Lei Zhou Open the ORCID record for Lei Zhou [Opens in a new window] ,
Qiannian Zhang Open the ORCID record for Qiannian Zhang [Opens in a new window] ,
Qi Huang Open the ORCID record for Qi Huang [Opens in a new window]  and
Qingduo Mao Open the ORCID record for Qingduo Mao [Opens in a new window]
Lei Zhou
Affiliation:
School of Public Affairs, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Qiannian Zhang
Affiliation:
School of Public Affairs, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Qi Huang
Affiliation:
School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Qingduo Mao*
Affiliation:
School of International Affairs and Public Administration, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China Smart State Governance Lab, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
*
Corresponding author: Qingduo Mao; Email: mqd@ouc.edu.cn
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Abstract

Increasing transboundary crises necessitate the development of crisis management capabilities that transcend boundaries. In such situations, inter-governmental and cross-functional collaboration has become a common practice to address the complexities of governance challenges. This study employs Social Network Analysis to examine the structure, function, and evolution of policy collaboration networks in China in response to COVID-19 and SARS. Since the SARS outbreak, China has embraced a collaborative governance approach, considering the transboundary nature of COVID-19. This approach has led to the involvement of numerous specialized organizations engaged in economic and social development, contributing to the establishment of a larger and more loosely connected collaboration network. While the health department bears the primary responsibility for coordinating public health emergency management, diverse organizations with social governance and economic management functions have also emerged as key actors, providing crucial anti-epidemic information, knowledge, and resources to address this significant cross-border crisis.

Keywords

transboundary crisiscollaboration networksocial network analysisSARSCOVID-19

Information

Type
Policy Analysis
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 18 , 2024 , e298
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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