If Taiwan were hit by an epidemic, the WHO would not stand idly by just because Taiwan is not one of its members, a British epidemiologist said in Taipei yesterday.
"I was here in Taiwan during the severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] outbreak at the request of the WHO," Sir Roy Malcolm Anderson said at a press conference held on the opening day of the first UK-Taiwan International Networking for Young Scientists Symposium on Infection and Immunity.
"Although you may not be a member, the director-general of WHO at that time and director now, of course, will help any country ... there is absolutely no doubt about that, " Anderson said. "The UK and the US will help as well."
Taiwan is excluded from the International Health Regulations and has repeatedly failed in its bid to become an observer or member of the WHO because of Chinese obstruction. As a result, it is denied direct contact with the WHO, including in the areas of disease control and prevention.
When SARS hit in early 2003, Taiwan had to rely primarily on the US Centers for Disease Control for outside assistance, but was in the dark about how to contain the disease in the early stages of the outbreak.
A total of 37 people died from SARS in Taiwan.
The incoming rector of the Imperial College London said that Taiwan's own confidence and ability to deal with epidemics were as important as any outside help it might receive.
One such potential epidemic is avian influenza, as fears that it could grow into a global pandemic mount.
Anderson identified six areas that individuals and governments should pay attention to in countering the spread of the disease, including better international surveillance, less close contact with poultry, biomedical research advancement and changes in personal behavior.
"Very simple things matter ... sensible behavior in large populations can minimize exceeding spread, " he said.
If avian influenza were to spread, residents of the infected area should wear face masks, wash their hands with alcohol and engage in "social distancing," or avoid going to places where large crowds are gathered, Anderson said.
He also suggested that governments prepare detailed plans to deal with an outbreak and practice them in advance because when an epidemic emerges, there are only a few days to react.
Although China has improved its disease surveillance enormously after the SARS outbreak in 2003, information-collection capabilities are still poor in rural areas, he said.
"My worry is that we may lose a week or more when the epidemic has started because it's so difficult to get accurate information from this large population [in China]," Anderson said. "It's a hard truth, but it is a truth."
The symposium was sponsored by the British Council in Taipei, aimed at fostering a closer relationship between scientists in Taiwan and the UK.
Sixteen young scientists from the UK traveled to Taiwan for the first symposium.
Young Taiwanese scientists may also travel to the UK to facilitate future exchanges, said Edmond Hsieh (
Additional reporting by Angelica Oung
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
‘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
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
RSS