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Statement on Taiwan's voluntary early compliance with IHR 2005

Dr. Steve Kuo, Taiwan CDC, announced in a press conference in Taipei（15, May, 2006）

Taiwan acknowledges with appreciation the World Health Organization (WHO) Resolutions WHA58.3 on the revision of the International Health Regulations (IHR) and WHA58.5 on strengthening pandemic-influenza preparedness. It also commends the adoption of Article 3 of the IHR (2005) which stresses that “the implementation of these Regulations shall be with full respect for the dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons” and that “the implementation of these Regulations shall be guided by the goal of their universal application for the protection of all people of the world from the international spread of disease.”  

It should be noted that Taiwan CDC is responsible for all policies, strategies, and implementation regarding the prevention and control of infectious diseases not only for its 23 million people, but also for more than 400,000 foreign nationals residing on the island. In addition, it was profoundly affected by the previous pandemic of SARS during 2003. 

Although Taiwan is not a Member of the WHO, Article 2 of the IHR (2005) states clearly that “the purpose and scope of these Regulations are to prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease in ways that are commensurate with and restricted to public health risks, and which avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade.” As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and as the 16th largest trading nation on the globe, Taiwan has the responsibility to help ensure sound public health practices without disrupting international trade and traffic directly linked to Taiwan.

It should also be noted that there is a serious risk to human health, including the possible emergence of a pandemic virus, arising from ongoing outbreaks in poultry of highly pathogenic avian influenza, caused by the H5N1 strain of Influenza virus A, in parts of Asia and elsewhere. Taiwan is extremely concerned with the persistence of outbreaks in poultry in the region, the continuing occurrence of sporadic cases of severe human diseases associated with these outbreaks, the endemicity of the virus in several countries, the spread of the virus through the migration of wild waterfowl to new areas, including possibly Taiwan, and its predicted further spread. 

It is clear that the IHR (2005) are needed to help ensure that the earliest epidemiological signals of increased transmissibility of the virus among humans are not missed, and we are aware that several provisions in the IHR (2005) would be useful in ensuring a strengthened and coordinated response on the part of the international community both to the present situation and a possible pandemic. 

Taiwan hereby declares its voluntary early compliance with all the provisions of the IHR (2005). It has to be emphasized that Taiwan is making this declaration of early voluntary compliance to the IHR (2005) strictly for public health purposes only, so as to ensure optimal national and global health security.