An employee comes out of the Baidu headquarters in Beijing. [Photo by Fan Jiashan/For China Daily]

Chinese internet search giant Baidu Inc announced on Sunday it has established a special fund of 300 million yuan ($43.2 million) for epidemic prevention and public health security, in response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus-related pneumonia.

The fund will be used to support the selection, research and development of drugs targeting the novel coronavirus and a string of works to fight against the epidemic, as well as popularize and disseminate health security information for the long term.

Baidu said it will provide technological support in artificial intelligence to help the centers for disease control, scientific research institutes and other research organizations to accelerate R&D efforts. It will also offer big data analysis technology to support the timely detection, rapid response and scientific management of the epidemic.

The tech heavyweight will give full play to its responsibility as an information and knowledge platform, link public health agencies and cooperate with media to actively disseminate public health-related knowledge, and improve the public awareness and knowledge of public health and food safety.