12320 Health Hotline

At the end of 2005, in order to implement laws and regulations such as the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and the Regulations on Emergency Response to Public Health Emergencies, timely and effectively respond to public health emergencies and major public health issues, meet the growing health needs of the public, and provide a unified, easy to remember and use hotline number for the public to communicate with health administrative departments, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (formerly the Ministry of Health) issued the "Notice of the Ministry of Health on the Use of the '12320' National Public Health Public Health Public Welfare Telephone" (Health Office [2005] No. 486), officially launching the construction of the national 12320 public health public health public welfare telephone network, and positioning its functions as consultation and complaint reporting in the field of public health.

In September 2006, in order to promote the construction of 12320 throughout the country, the National Health and Family Planning Commission issued the "Notice of the Ministry of Health on Doing a Good Job in the Construction of the '12320' National Public Health Public Welfare Telephone" (Weibanfa [2006] No. 376). At the same time, a 12320 Work Leading Group was established with the former Deputy Minister in charge as the group leader and relevant business departments as members, and an office was set up to work together with the National 12320 Management Center located at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, proposing the construction principle of 'pilot first, steady progress'.

In March 2012, the National Health and Family Planning Commission issued the "Notice of the Ministry of Health on Further Strengthening the Construction of the 12320 Public Health Public Welfare Hotline" (Health Office [2012] No. 14), which redefined the positioning and functions of 12320 and required local health administrative departments to incorporate the construction of 12320 into the overall development of local health reform, gradually building a 12320 health hotline service system covering the whole country.

In March 2013, the 12320 Public Health Hotline was officially renamed as the 12320 Health Hotline.