BEIJING — China on May 13 inaugurated a national administration of disease prevention and control, with five major functions including formulating policies for the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

The establishment of the administration signals the expansion of the roles of disease prevention and control agencies from preventing and containing diseases to comprehensively safeguarding and promoting the health of the entire population, according to an official statement.

The administration is a vice-ministerial level agency managed by the National Health Commission (NHC), the statement said.

It will be tasked with formulating policies for the prevention and control of infectious diseases and for public health supervision.

The administration will steer the development of the disease prevention and control system, the epidemic monitoring and early warning system, and the scientific research system for disease control.

It will also be responsible for the supervision and management of public health and the supervision of infectious disease prevention and control, according to the statement.

Wang Hesheng was appointed as head of the administration by the State Council. He was a former deputy director of the NHC and was appointed as the director of the Hubei provincial health commission in February 2020 when the province was hit hard by COVID-19.