ObjectiveTo systematically assess the public health governance capacity in Zhejiang Province, to conduct an in-depth analysis of its strengths and weaknesses, so as to provide scientific basis and strategic recommendations for further enhancement. MethodsA systematic collection of policy documents, public information reports, and research literature related to public health governance capacity in Zhejiang Province from 2002 to 2023 was conducted (encompassing a total of 1 263 policy documents, 138 pieces of information reports and 631 research articles). Based on the evaluation criteria suitable for public health systems previously developed by the research team, the basic status and magnitude of change in public health governance capacity in Zhejiang Province was evaluated. Additionally, normative gap analyses were employed to identify the strengths and weaknesses. ResultsZhejiang Province ranked 4th nationwide in terms of public health governance capacity with a score of 733.4 points (1 000.0-point maximum). The province has effectively implemented the principle of health first (scoring 698.5 points in the assessment of health-first strategy implementation) and attached sufficient importance to health-related goals (scoring 658.2 points in the scientific rationality of goal setting). However, the implementation of inter-departmental coordination and incentive mechanisms only scored 178.7 points, the feasibility of management and monitoring mechanisms scored even lower at only 144.0 points, and the coverage of incentive mechanisms scored 286.0 points. ConclusionZhejiang Province has effectively implemented its health first strategy and attached great importance to health targets, but still needs to strengthen cross-departmental coordination mechanisms and health-oriented incentives.

ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the public health governance capacity of 40 cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui Provinces, providing a scientific evaluation basis for building a "Healthy Yangtze River Delta". MethodsA comprehensive collection of policy documents, public information reports, and research literature related to public health governance capacity in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui Provinces was conducted, totaling 6 920 policy documents, 1 720 information reports, and 1 200 literature pieces. Based on the evaluation standards for an appropriate public health system established by the research team, the basic status of public health governance capacity was assessed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the 40 cities. ResultsIn 2022, the public health governance capacity score for the 40 cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui Provinces was (562.5±38.0) points. In terms of specific areas, the emergency response field received the highest score of (791.4±49.7) points, while the chronic disease prevention and control field received the lowest score of (368.2±29.6) points. The Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Anhui region has largely achieved the strategic priority of health, gradually improved public health legal regulations, and established a basic organizational framework with a solid foundation for information and data infrastructure. However, challenges still need to be addressed, such as unstable government funding for public health, unclear departmental responsibilities, and barriers to information interoperability. ConclusionThe public health governance capacity of the 40 cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui Province has been at a moderate level, but disparities have still existed across regions and fields. In the future, while continuing to deepen existing advantages, it is essential to accurately identify the causes of problems, establish a long-term and stable investment mechanism, enhance information connectivity mechanisms, further clarify departmental responsibilities, and promote the achievement of the "Healthy Yangtze River Delta" goal.

Building a strong public health system has become an urgent task in the new era. Based on more than eight years of systematic research， we believe that five aspects need to be prioritized for a strong system. First， we should change the perspective on public health， using the word “gonggong jiankang” to replace “gonggong weisheng” and the word “gonggong jiankang tixi” to replace “gonggong weisheng tixi”， to lead the public health system development. Second， we should develop a suitable public health system and continuously improve the health capacity for governance. Third， we should make it clear that the goal of building a strong system is not far-fetched， and we need to consolidate the existing institutional advantages of China’s public health system： when encountering major problems， we can maintain a unified goal and mobilize the whole society to cooperate effectively to accomplish the goal. However， we need to make up for shortcomings one by one， especially to solve the key problem of lacking a strong coordination mechanism in daily work. Fourth， we should pursue excellence and consolidate the“suitable” mechanism proven in the process of coping with the COVID-19， so that efficient mechanisms to deal with major issues can be used in routine work， and efforts should be made to consolidate the advantages of prevention and control of infectious diseases and emergency response，so as to achieve the balanced development of regions categories and units.Finally， it is necessary to strengthen the coordination of government and research institutions， in the aspects of technological innovation， talent team building and accurate consulting services， and work together to pursue a suitable and strong system to realize the modernization of the health system and capacity for governance.