TAIWAN'S NEEDS
IN HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE
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- Taiwan is denied access to real-time information.
Taiwan is denied access to the real-time information needed to update its knowledge regarding the prevention and control of SARS because Taiwan’s experts cannot attend symposiums held by the WHO, in which they could directly exchange views with other experts. For example, Taiwan was not able to attend the meeting with the experts of WHO member states during the SARS outbreak last year, and as a result, Taiwan could only formulate its strategies based on the guidelines put on the WHO website during March 2003. It was not until the end of April, when a large-scale intra-hospital infection occurred in the Hoping Hospital, that the resulting severe loophole in the safety net to combat SARS was revealed, and that the WHO started to respond to Taiwan’s request for the latest information and finally sent experts to Taiwan in early May. Taiwan then realized that the information available on the WHO website lagged behind the latest information. In addition, Taiwan’s experts were not able to attend the SARS-related meetings held by the WHO until mid-May.
During this year’s ongoing outbreak of avian flu, Taiwan is again denied participation in all related meetings such as the symposium on influenza held from March 16 to 18. This lack of real time and timely access to the latest information in the prevention and cure of diseases affects even the global efforts in controlling and preventing this disease. It is therefore imperative for Taiwan to attend these various meetings and activities and to have direct exchanges of information with international medical and health experts.
- Allocation of disease control supplies.
The WHO has a mechanism to allocate vaccines and supplies. However, if and when an international epidemic breaks out, Taiwan cannot receive disease control supplies and vaccines because it is not a member of the WHO. This has a significant negative impact on Taiwan’s disease control efforts. Influenza vaccines are not included in the WHO allocation mechanism and their production is limited, hence if an international outbreak occurs, their availability will be limited. It is requested that when the need arises, Taiwan should also be supplied with a sufficient amount of vaccines, and vaccine-manufacturing countries should be able to provide us with flu virus strains as well as the technology related to vaccine production.
- Taiwan needs access to standard references for laboratory testing.
Taiwan has no direct channels to purchase on the market the standard references for controlled drugs, vaccines and blood products. This has a negative impact on the laboratory testing of drug abuse and of the effects of vaccines and blood products. We need other channels to obtain these products.
- Taiwan needs assistance from specialists in the rehabilitation of drug addicts.
Drug abuse was previously considered a crime in Taiwan. Since the Statute for Narcotics Hazard Control was promulgated in 1998, drug addicts have been considered sick patients and cessation treatments are offered. However, Taiwan urgently needs to set up a more effective treatment model to improve the effects of cures. International specialists in this field are needed.
- Taiwan wishes to participate in the Codex Alimentarus for the formulation of and amendments to food standards.
The Codex is a committee jointly set up by UN FAO and WHO whose primary mission is to formulate and amend food standards in view of protecting the health of consumers and ensure fair trade in food. Taiwan is now a member of the WTO, and by WTO regulations, it must comply with the regulations of the SPS (Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures) and TBT (Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade). However, Taiwan’s representatives have not yet been allowed to participate in any of the Codex meetings or discussions. We hope that issues highly relevant to the health of Taiwan’s population such as the laboratory testing for food safety and quarantine measures for animals and plants will be handled in accordance to international standards.
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