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WHO news is a good sign

One day after the World Health Organization (WHO) removed Taiwan from its travel-advisory list, the Executive Yuan is preparing today to launch its three-stage, 18-month reconstruction project with the hope of boosting the GDP growth from the originally projected 2.89 percent to 3 percent this year and to 4 percent next year.

The Cabinet today will also decide whether to relax some SARS-prevention measures, such as taking temperatures, wearing masks and home quarantine, as the nation makes efforts to be removed from the WHO's local-transmission list.

Praising the first-stage of the anti-SARS campaign as a small step in the nation's disease-control efforts, Premier Yu Shyi-kun told the press conference held at the Executive Yuan yesterday afternoon that the Cabinet is poised to kick off a three-stage, 18-month reconstruction project.

"With the injection of the NT$50 billion SARS control and relief fund, the NT$20 billion public service project, the NT$57.7 billion public construction project and the three-year, NT$300 billion large-scale public construction project, we hope to boost economic growth to 3 percent by the end of this year and to 4 percent next year," Yu said.

The revitalization projects encompass four major areas. They are: the reconstruction of social order; the reform of the public health and medical system; the revitalization of the economy; and the promotion of the national image.

Department of Health Director-General Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) yesterday called on the public to remain vigilant, at least for 20 more days. A requirement of being removed from the WHO's local transmission list is that an area have no new cases of SARS for 20 days.

"As we continue to stay alert, we can start the final count-down of the 18 days before we're removed from the list of local transmission," Chen said.

Taiwan, Beijing, Hong Kong and Toronto are still listed by the WHO as areas with recent local transmission of SARS.

Chen also discredited PFP Legislator Kao Ming-chien (高明見), who was recommended by China to the WHO to join the Global Conference on SARS in Kuala Lumpur yesterday and today.

"The department recommended only four medical experts to the WHO. While Director of Center for Disease Control Su Ih-jen (蘇益仁), the leader of the delegation, will provide the official data and share the nation's SARS control efforts in the conference, Kao's remarks should be regarded as purely personal opinions," Chen said.

Although speculation was rife that China had tried to pressure the WHO to delay lifting Taiwan from the travel advisory list until China itself is removed, Chen said that the department would like to see China be removed from the travel advisory list as soon as possible.

"We care about the people in China and hope they'll be able to get back to their normal life again very soon," Chen said.

Lee Ming-liang (李明亮), head of the Cabinet's ad hoc SARS Prevention and Relief Committee, attributed the nation's removal from the travel advisory to the public's cooperation.

"We wouldn't have been able to come this far if the public hadn't cooperated," Lee said.
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