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The SARS epidemic of 2003 was one of the most serious public health crises of our times. The event, which lasted only a few months, is best seen as a warning shot, a wake-up call for public health professionals, security officials, economic planners, and policy makers everywhere. SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is one of the "new" epidemics. SARS in China addresses the structure and impact of the epidemic and its short and medium range implications for an interconnected, globalized world. After initially stalling and prevaricating, the Chinese government managed to control SARS before it became a global catastrophe, an accomplishment that required political will and national mobilization. Recent warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding avian flu make it clear that SARS may have been a prelude to bigger things. The contributors to this volume include a journalist, WHO's representative in Beijing, and health care professionals, several of whom found themselves on the frontlines of the battle to understand and control SARS.
Their vivid, first-hand accounts encouraged other contributors to go beyond the boundaries of their respective disciplines and write for a wide audience. The authors of this volume focus on specific aspects of the SARS outbreak - epidemiological, political, economic, social, cultural, and moral. They analyze SARS as a form of social suffering and raise questions about the relevance of national sovereignty in the face of such global threats. Taken together, these essays demonstrate that SARS had the potential of becoming a major turning point in human history. This book thus poses a question of the greatest possible significance: Can we learn from SARS before the next pandemic?
The SARS epidemic of 2003 was one of the most serious public health crises of our times. The event, which lasted only a few months, is best seen as a warning shot, a wake-up call for public health professionals, security officials, economic planners, and policy makers everywhere. SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is one of the "new" epidemics. SARS in China addresses the structure and impact of the epidemic and its short and medium range implications for an interconnected, globalized world. After initially stalling and prevaricating, the Chinese government managed to control SARS before it became a global catastrophe, an accomplishment that required political will and national mobilization. Recent warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding avian flu make it clear that SARS may have been a prelude to bigger things. The contributors to this volume include a journalist, WHO's representative in Beijing, and health care professionals, several of whom found themselves on the frontlines of the battle to understand and control SARS.
Their vivid, first-hand accounts encouraged other contributors to go beyond the boundaries of their respective disciplines and write for a wide audience. The authors of this volume focus on specific aspects of the SARS outbreak - epidemiological, political, economic, social, cultural, and moral. They analyze SARS as a form of social suffering and raise questions about the relevance of national sovereignty in the face of such global threats. Taken together, these essays demonstrate that SARS had the potential of becoming a major turning point in human history. This book thus poses a question of the greatest possible significance: Can we learn from SARS before the next pandemic?
Contents Preface vii Contributors xi Introduction: SARS in Social and Historical Context 1 arthur kleinman and james l. watson Part I. The Epidemiological and Public Health Background 1. The Epidemiology of SARS 17 megan murray 2. The Role of the World Health Organization in Combating SARS, Focusing on the Efforts in China 31 alan schnur 3. SARS and China's Health-Care Response: Better to Be Both Red and Expert! 53 joan kaufman Part II. Economic and Political Consequences 4. Is SARS China's Chernobyl or Much Ado About Nothing? 71 tony saich 5. SARS and China's Economy 105 thomas g. rawski 6. SARS in Beijing: The Unraveling of a Cover-Up 122 erik eckholm Part III: Social, Moral, and Psychological Consequences 7. Psychological Responses to SARS in Hong Kong-- Report from the Front Line 133 dominic t. s. lee, m.d., and yung kwok wing, mrcpsych 8. Making Light of the Dark Side: SARS Jokes and Humor in China 148 hong zhang Part IV: Globalization and Cross-Cultural Issues 9. SARS and the Problem of Social Stigma 173 arthur kleinman and sing lee 10. SARS and the Consequences for Globalization 196 james l. watson Notes 205 Index 235
Arthur Kleinman is Professor of Medical Anthropology at Harvard Medical School. James L. Watson is Fairbank Professor of Chinese Society and Professor of Anthropology at Harvard University. He is also the author of Golden Arches East: McDonald's in East Asia (Stanford University Press, 1997).
"SARS in China not only makes a significant contribution to China studies but also provides important clues about the state of preparation for global health challenges such as avian flu." - China Review International "This book has lined up a remarkable team of authors to try to answer the question: what can we learn from SARS before the next pandemic? And its value lies in the significant issues that it has highlighted." - The China Review
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