The H5N1 avian flu strain that has shocked the World Health Organization (WHO) first appeared in Hong Kong in 1997. This year the virus seems to have become more virulent as it spreads across Asia. Currently, poultry farms in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Pakistan have been affected. Tens of millions of chickens have been culled. The speed of the contagion is unprecedented and its impact on Asia's poultry farmers cannot be ignored.
What is especially worrisome is that six people reportedly died in Vietnam from bird flu, raising concerns throughout the region and at the WHO. According to epidemiologists, the wide scope of the contagion, the inter-species transmission and the successive transmission to one poultry farm after another have been some of the unusual features of this outbreak. The speed of transmission appears to have taken the WHO by surprise.
In Taiwan, outbreaks have been reported in some poultry farms in the center and south of the country. This has resulted in the slaughter of around 200,000 chickens. According to test results, however, the outbreaks were not caused by the virulent H5N1 strain of avian flu. But as happened with last year's SARS epidemic, no WHO officials have come here yet to offer assistance in epidemic prevention. Such a repeat is deplorable.
Can other countries really afford for Taiwan to become a loophole in efforts to stop the spread of bird flu?
The WHO, which is responsible for ensuring humanity's health, continues to kowtow to Chinese political pressure and reject Taiwan's participation.
China has repeatedly lied to the world, saying that Beijing can take care of the Taiwanese people's health needs. In reality, however, China has spread diseases to Taiwan -- from the foot-and-mouth epidemic a few years ago to SARS. Those outbreaks showed the world the deficiencies of the Chinese health-care system and its bureaucracy. How can China take care of Taiwan if it cannot even take good care of its own people?
Everyone knows that rapid disease control is very important when contagious diseases like SARS and bird flu break out. Think about it. Tens of thousands of people travel in and out of Taiwan every day. Once a new disease appears in Taiwan, it could spread to other parts of the world in a couple of days. If Taiwan remains unable to get timely global epidemic information or link itself to the international epidemic-prevention network, then we won't have to think hard to see what price the international community may have to pay for leaving a loophole open in Taiwan.
We are happy to see the Thai government quickly invite experts from other Asian countries, including Taiwan, to an epidemic-prevention conference. This reflects the growing awareness among Asian countries that only when truly united can they effectively prevent further spread of the outbreak. Thailand knows that Taiwan must not be allowed to become a loophole in the prevention work. What legitimate reason can other WHO members still cite to exclude this nation from that organization?
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