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International collaboration vital as new infectious diseases emerge

By William C. Pao/The China Post

Apr 30, 2004

Collaboration with other nations on health-related subjects has become critical for Taiwan, as the emergence of new infectious diseases, such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), has given rise to the need for data exchange with the rest of the world for more effective prevention and control of communicable diseases.

Meanwhile, Taiwan needs a platform to interact with other countries, with which the island can share its health achievements made over the past decades — such as the control of various diseases, the provision of medical assistance to third-world countries and the successful implementation of a national health insurance program — and there is no better way to do this than through the World Health Organization (WHO), of which Taiwan has been trying wholeheartedly to become an observer.

In the view of Health Minister Chen Chien-jen, Taiwan has made a lot of medical breakthroughs over the years, all of which can be shared with other countries.

“In the past, we were mere recipients of international aid in our efforts to contain such diseases as trachoma and malaria, but Taiwan has evolved. Now we are a model for other nations to follow,” said the minister, who heads the Cabinet-level Department of Health (DOH).

Taiwanese take pride in their accomplishments made in the field of health over the past decades as a result of policies implemented by the government and cooperation by the people. The ROC's status as the first country in the world to implement a nationwide Hepatitis B control program and the medical assistance it has provided to Latin American and African nations were only some of the health achievements that have drawn world attention.

National health insurance

The implementation of Asia's first national health insurance program further put Taiwan in the international spotlight, as many countries sent representatives to Taiwan to study the initiative that ABC News said made Taiwan a “health utopia,” Chen quoted the news report as saying.

“U.S. doctors have said that it took them a century to develop a national health insurance program, but to no avail,” he said. “Taiwan is a capitalist society, yet the national health insurance program is socialistic. This is in vast contrast to mainland China, a socialist country with a capitalist health insurance program. The low premiums and easy accessibility of our program are impressive to many.”

New infectious diseases

International collaboration has now gained more urgency, as the so-called new infectious diseases, which include Ebola, AIDS and SARS, began to emerge as a result of easier and more frequent travel. The severe acute respiratory syndrome, commonly known as SARS, which killed thousands worldwide last year, underscores the need to exchange information among health authorities in various nations to effectively battle the epidemic, Chen said.

SARS, a new and unknown disease when it was first reported, took a devastating toll on many parts of the world, with the Greater China region hit the hardest. Economic ramifications were significant, as many companies in the manufacturing, service and travel industries were shut down due to slowed business.

According to the health chief, things would not have become so bad if related information — such as the disease's origin, paths of transmission, symptoms and weaknesses — were known earlier. Mainland China, where SARS originated, has been blamed for the spread of the disease because it did not report its SARS situation honestly and transparently.

“As for Taiwan,” the health minister went on, “Last December, when there was a lab worker who got infected, we were informed immediately of the situation at 9 p.m., and by 4 a.m. the next day all related tests were conducted. An intra-departmental meeting was held at 8 a.m., followed by a SARS meeting at 9 o'clock. By 10 a.m. we were able to inform the WHO, and we held a news conference at 11 a.m.”

“This type of honesty and transparency with which we report our situation has won the trust of other nations,” he added.

The WHO

The impact of SARS stressed the urgency of Taiwan's entry into the WHO for medical and health-related assistance in Taiwan's efforts to eradicate the disease. Yet Beijing has constantly blocked Taiwan from participating in the WHO —  even as an observer.

While an observer cannot vote on health-related issues, it can take part in WHO conferences, seminars and other activities, in which Taiwan can share some of its experiences in disease prevention and control that the island has acquired over the last decades.

Chen said he and most people in Taiwan could not understand Beijing's move. In his view, health is an issue that should never be politicized, as disease knows no national boundaries.

“What China says and what it actually does are contradictory. If China claims to be Taiwan's brother, then why is it ignoring the rights of the Taiwanese people to get better health?” he asked. “If Taiwan suffers from an epidemic as a result of being banned from joining the WHO, then the entire region may suffer as well.”

Chen has been seeking the support of other countries for Taiwan's WHO bid, and that will continue to be a top priority for the DOH this year. Already, lobbying efforts by the government have prompted the legislatures in many countries, such as the United States, Japan, Australia and others, to pass resolutions in support of Taiwan.

In the meantime, the health minister said that Taiwan will continue to play an active part in the international health community. “This will make the island more visible on the world stage,” he said.

Original Source: Health Taiwan