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Taiwan's Exclusion from the
Global Infectious Disease Control Network
for Political Reasons Represents a Loss for International Healthcare
Press Release
Center for Disease Control
Department of Health
Republic of China
May 12, 2004
- As a result of China’s closed system and non-transparency of information, several severe outbreaks of infectious disease have been linked to mainland China. These include the avian influenza that spread to Hong Kong and beyond in 1997, and the SARS epidemic that broke out around the world in 2003 and 2004. The rapid increase in HIV/AIDS cases in China also poses a severe threat to the health of all mankind. With large numbers of Taiwanese people traveling to China and Hong Kong for business and tourism, Taiwan is more susceptible than any other Asian country to a major infectious disease originating in China. The SARS epidemic that caused so much suffering in Taiwan in 2003 offers ample proof of this fact.
- As experts from Taiwan are unable to participate in workshops and symposiums organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the discussion and exchange of information with experts and specialists from other countries, Taiwan has no accesses to real-time information and is unable to keep abreast of the latest disease control expertise. During the SARS outbreak of last year, for instance, Taiwan was unable to participate in the WHO expert meetings and was forced to rely on disease control guidelines published on the WHO website in March to formulate disease control strategies. After the serious break in the disease control network caused by a large-scale nosocomial outbreak at the Hoping Hospital in late April, the WHO began to respond to Taiwan’s requests for disease control assistance, and took the initiative to send specialists to Taiwan to offer guidance in early May. Only then did Taiwan become aware of a time lag between the information published on the website and the latest information. Taiwan's experts were able for the first time to take part in a SARS-related meeting hosted by the WHO in mid-May of last year. Requests for WHO specialists to come to Taiwan to assist in establishing a good disease control mechanism have yet to receive a clear response.
- The WHO recently announced that avian influenza is expected to emerge as the biggest threat to global health. However, Taiwan was again refused participation in related meetings and the influenza symposium of March 16-18. If Taiwan is unable to access the latest information, the world runs the risk of opening a chink in its disease prevention armor that could hamper the effectiveness of disease control on a global scale. There is an urgent need for Taiwan to participate in WHO conferences and activities so that it has the opportunity to share information directly with international experts and scholars on health and medical care.
- Taiwan has a wealth of experience with disease control—having eradicated malaria and brought hepatitis-B and dengue fever under control—and can assist and share its experience with developing countries. Through participation in the WHO, Taiwan will be in a position to make important contributions to global disease control.
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