Chinese Social Organizations Participation in Epidemic Prevention and Control: Actions, Issues, and Countermeasures

Abstract

In theory, as a significant force in social governance, social organizations play a crucial role in responding to major emergencies. Through practical observation, it can be seen that in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese social organizations actively participated, primarily responsible for coordinating epidemic prevention materials, providing professional services, serving as volunteers, and actively engaging in publicity. Compared to the government, they possess advantages and characteristics such as resource advantages, coordination advantages, professional advantages, and public welfare advantages, playing a role that the government and businesses may not fully exploit. While acknowledging their strengths, it is also necessary to admit that Chinese social organizations face various challenges in their participation in pandemic prevention and control, such as insufficient participation, lack of independence, and limited credibility. These issues can be analyzed from three dimensions: the internal aspects of social organizations themselves, the relationship between social organizations and the government, and legal regulations. To better harness the role of social organizations in responding to public crises, it is essential to make improvements in the following three areas: 1. Accelerate organizational capacity building to enhance social organizations ability to respond to emergencies. 2. Streamline the relationship between the government and social organizations to achieve complementary strengths. 3. Enhance legal regulations. It is hoped that these measures can contribute to improving the governance capacity of social organizations in effectively participating in public crisis events.