The director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday praised the government's anti-epidemic measures to contain the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), saying Taiwan has done a superb job given that the World Health Organization (WHO) has provided no assistance.
Douglas Paal said there are very few SARS cases in Taiwan so far, considering that there are more than 10,000 Taiwanese businessmen have returned from China since the outbreak of the disease.
The director added that the medical specialists dispatched by the US Centers for Disease Control have lauded Taiwan's medical competence and epidemic control efforts during a recent visit to Taiwan.
Paal made the comments in a meeting with reporters at the AIT office in Kaohsiung.
Despite not belonging to the WHO, Taiwan has made a deep impression on international society on how it has effectively brought the illness under control.
No SARS-related deaths have been reported in Taiwan thus far. The statistics provided by the Center for Disease Control yesterday showed that although about 138 suspected cases have been reported, only 23 are considered "probable."
According to the Web site of the WHO, by Wednesday, 1,280 cases had been reported in China, 53 of which have been fatal.
An American diplomat posted in Vietnam sent his son to Taiwan last month for medical treatment after the child was suspected of having SARS.
According to a government official, US officials were very impressed by Taiwan's progressive medical standards and suggested that now is the best time for Taiwan to push for entry into the WHO.
A group of US congressmen have intensified their efforts lately to get the George W. Bush administration to press for Taiwan's participation in the WHO and for Taiwan's inclusion in the global effort to curb the illness.
Led by the co-chairman of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus and by Taiwan-born Oregon Congressman David Wu (
The congressmen noted they were disturbed that Taiwan was denied assistance when it requested help from the WHO to diagnose and treat suspected cases of SARS, and urged the Bush administration to secure a position for Taiwan in the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, which the WHO set up to coordinate the efforts to fight SARS.
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