The keys to addressing a potential worldwide influenza pandemic include early response, cooperation between countries and preparation, Department of Health (DOH) officials said yesterday in a briefing on discussions that took place at a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting in Japan.
After receiving a last-minute invitation, Taiwanese officials were able to attend the meeting on bird flu in Tokyo last Thursday and Friday.
It was the eighth WHO meeting relating to bird flu in three months, and 130 representatives from 22 countries were present.
The head of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Steve Kuo (郭旭崧), who was one of the three representatives to attend the meeting, said the nation's invitation to the meeting reflected the emphasis on international cooperation and closing any loopholes.
"Notions people have that the danger is over if a bird flu pandemic hasn't hit by March or April are misguided. This is just the beginning and we are preparing for a fight lasting at least three to five years," Kuo said.
Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at National Taiwan University Hospital Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said there was a consensus that the key to preventing the spread of infection was detection, quarantine and giving medicine to people the sick had come into contact with.
A controversial issue that arose at the meeting centered on the stockpiling and use of Tamiflu, with officials debating whether stockpiles of the drug should be used for treatment or prevention.
Kuo said that the pharmaceutical company Roche has donated 300,0000 courses of Tamiflu, 150,0000 of which are stored in Switzerland, and 150,0000 of which are stored in the US.
Asian countries expressed concern that there was no stockpile in Asia, the hot zone for bird flu.
According to Kuo, Japan said it would donate 50,0000 courses of Tamiflu to the Asia region, regardless of the fact that decisions about stockpiling in Asia had not been finalized.
EU members said that arguments about where to stockpile medication were muddying the issue and that the important issue was how countries would deliver medication to affected areas -- which may be very remote -- and the early detection of cases.
Chang said at present it takes an average of 16.7 days for bird flu cases to be reported to the WHO, with over half of the cases taking more than 14 days to be reported. One goal was to have the cases reported within two weeks.
Another issue discussed was the need for China to be "transparent" about human bird flu cases, unlike what happened during the SARS outbreak.
Kuo said that while China has been very open regarding its bird flu status up until now, there could be no guarantee that the government would have knowledge of all bird flu cases given the country's size.
Kuo also reported that Taiwan received 80,000 doses of Tamiflu from Roche the day before yesterday, and that by the end of June the nation should have reached its target of having enough Tamiflu to supply 10 percent of the population, or 2.3 million courses.
Also see story:
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS