Analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of public health emergencies in Qinghai Province from 2009 to 2023.

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of public health emergencies in Qinghai Province from 2009 to 2023, providing a basis for decision-making in the prevention and control of such events. Methods Data on incidents from 2009 to 2023 in Qinghai Province were collected and organized from the "Public Health Emergency Report Management Information System". Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the characteristics of these incidents. Results A total of 311 public health emergencies were reported in Qinghai Province from 2009 to 2023, with 9 099 cases of illness affecting a total of 480 213 individuals, resulting in 46 deaths. Join point analysis revealed a turning point in infectious disease incidents, with a statistically significant upward trend from 2012 to 2023 (P=0.001). In contrast, non-infectious disease incidents exhibited a notable downward trend, with an annual percentage change (APC) of -8.30% (95%C7: -14.91% to -2.86%, P=0.003). Global spatial autocorrelation results indicated that, except for 2015 when public health emergencies in Qinghai showed a spatial negative correlation (Moran's I-0.321, Z=-1.557, P=0.035), no statistical differences were observed in other years (P>0.05). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between the reporting time of incidents and the duration of infectious disease outbreaks (r=0.43, P<0.05), indicating that longer reporting intervals were associated with longer outbreak durations. Conclusion There is a correlation between incident reporting and outbreak duration in Qinghai Province. It is recommended to enhance the awareness of timely reporting among medical institutions at all levels and to strengthen epidemic monitoring in key gathering places, such as primary schools, to reduce the occurrence of public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]