Practice with erudition, patriotism with sincerity: in memory of Wu Lien Teh, a plague fighter and pioneer of public health in China / 中华疾病控制杂志

ABSTRACT

Wu Lien Teh (1879-1960), a world-renowned health and epidemic prevention expert, was a pioneer in public health and medical education in China. With his scientific ideas and methods, he extinguished the plague epidemic in northeast China which shocked the world at the beginning of the 20th century. He proposed and enriched the theory of pneumonic plague, and his work marked a milestone in the world’s plague prevention and treatment. He established a scientific health and epidemic prevention system in China, promoted the reform of medical education, established modern medical institutes and hospitals, founded the Chinese Medical Association, helped reclaim the right of port quarantine, strengthened the anti-opium campaign, and promoted cultural exchanges between Chinese and western medicine. He was knowledgeable and far-sighted, and committed to the practice and research of infectious disease prevention and treatment, promoting the development of China’s public health, which has a far-reaching impact on China and the world.