Institutional barriers and technology-enabled pathways for achieving efficient regional collaboration among disease control agencies in China

Achieving regional collaboration among centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) agencies is critical to ensuring effective public health governance in China, yet institutional and technical barriers continue to undermine its effectiveness. To identify key institutional barriers to regional CDC collaboration in China and explore technology-enabled pathways to overcome them. An analysis of policy documents from 1998 to 2025 was conducted, including comparative case studies of three regional models (Yangtze River Delta, Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei and Chengdu–Chongqing), and an international comparison (EU, WHO Europe and US), guided by an institution–technology dual-dimensional framework. While China has established a preliminary policy framework for CDC collaboration, three core barriers persist: vertical disconnects in authority and responsibility; spatial resource imbalances (eastern regions. western region per capita funding gap: 2.3-fold); and fragmentation of technical standards, which has led to non-interoperable information systems and delayed cross-regional response. A dual-track synergy mechanism combining institutional redesign and technology-enabled solutions is needed. Key priorities include tiered coordination systems, cross-regional compensation mechanisms, unified technical standards, and adaptive digital infrastructure.