Preparing for and responding to public health emergencies in China: a focus group study

To gather information that would assist China's central government and local governments in public health emergency management, we conducted focus groups to identify current problems. In three provinces, selected to reflect differing economic and social status, we met with two groups each, composed of public health officials and practitioners. Sampling to achieve a mix and for convenience, we followed a guide to cover five topics. Eleven common problems emerged. China's central government and local governments should take immediate action to solve these remaining problems in public health emergency management.