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June 18, 2003 The World Health Organization announced Tuesday that it was lifting Taiwan from the list of areas affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome which advised travelers to avoid all non- essential travel to the island-nation. For Taiwan, it was a long-overdue acknowledgement of their efforts to prevent the spread of the potentially fatal disease on the island. After the disastrous in-hospital cross contamination outbreak at Hoping Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan has been under the WHO advisory for over a month- since May 8th. However, it was the third time that Taipei had petitioned to have its name removed from the list. The previous excuses given by the Geneva based WHO were incredulous in their lack of comprehension of clearly stated facts, and underscored WHO's lack of information on the real happenings in Taiwan due to its refusal to allow the island-state participation in the health organization. It simultaneously spurred rumors amongst the Taiwan populous that Beijing was exerting pressure on WHO to not remove Taiwan from the list until Beijing was given a clear bill of health. For over a week, Taiwan has repeatedly made its case that it had fulfilled all WHO requirements to be dropped from the travel advisory. WHO first claimed that Taiwan had more than 280 active cases, as opposed to the 23 that Taiwan claimed (WHO requires active cases to be under 60 to be removed from the affected area list), despite Taiwan's full explanation that the other patients were fully recovered from the virus, but were still in hospitals due to physical damage caused by the illness (such as lung scarring) or fear of being rejected by nervous family and peers. The truth is that WHO had no idea what was going on in Taiwan, because during the whole month+ saga, WHO spent 5 days on the ground here, as opposed to the constant supervision given to other (member) states. Additionally, WHO complained of 3 recent possible SARS-export cases by Taiwan nationals. All three had come down with flu-like symptoms in other countries, however 2 had been hospitalized for over the 10 day incubation period, and declared safe. The third case has yet to be clearly defined as SARS, but due to the time the person had been abroad, it was considered impossible that he had picked up the illness while still on the island. Faced with such discredit to their ability to get accurate information even in countries where they have a presence, WHO agreed to the Taiwan request, but still slapped at the island's sovereignty by printing the announcement as WHO lifts travel advice for Taiwan province, China - thus stating Taiwan to be a part of the PRC. Beijing, however, doesn't seem to be letting go of the political headway they've made in using SARS at Taiwan's expense. They recently invited PFP Legislator Kao Ming-chien to the Kuala Lampur SARS conference. Kao, a doctor and Pro- unification politician, played no part in formulating SARS policy in Taiwan, but is sparking criticism by allowing Beijing to use him to further its preposterous claim to have provided health assistance to the island (made while arguing against the island's inclusion in WHO last May). The PRC has also recently released a stream of criticism towards Taiwan's newly issued passport design, that prints the word Taiwan on the cover (due to complaints of hold-ups in world airports as workers confused the Taiwanese Republic of China passports, with the Mainland People's Republic of China passports, and thus refused to issue/recognize valid visas), saying that it is a continuation of creeping independence. -One could only hope as much. ------------ Email Clay H. Williams: klei1842@hotmail.com Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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