Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease found worldwide, from tropical to sub-tropical climates and from urban to semi-urban areas. A dengue infection causes a flu-like illness and can develop into potentially complicated and lethal “severe dengue fever.”
Severe dengue fever is one of the leading causes of severe illness and/or death, particularly among children. It not only leads to the loss of human life, but also a reduction in national productivity and is ultimately a negative for the tourism and the international reputation of a country. Dengue is more than a public health problem; it has become a socioeconomic challenge.
Asia represents 75 percent of the global burden of dengue fever, costing Southeast Asia at least US$1 billion annually. Dengue fever is a daily threat to the health of every population. This is why the “new southbound policy” can take the dengue issue into account through health cooperation with ASEAN members.
How serious is dengue in ASEAN members? According to 2013 statistics, dengue fever cases in some ASEAN members are as follows: Philippines — 166,107 cases and 457 deaths; Thailand — 150,454 cases and 133 deaths; Indonesia — 101,218 cases and an unknown number of deaths; Vietnam — 66,140 cases and 42 deaths; Malaysia — 43,346 cases and 92 deaths; and Singapore — 22,205 cases and seven deaths.
However, these figures do not reflect the urgent status of the dengue situation in ASEAN.
“The rising incidence of dengue in ASEAN has prompted health experts to call for a collective regional action to fight the fastest-growing mosquito-borne disease,” Singapore’s Straits Times reported.
The hot weather brought on by the El Nino phenomenon has worsened dengue fever outbreaks. One of the most affected countries last year was the Philippines, which saw 200,415 cases and 598 deaths.
Malaysia cannot be ignored from this equation either. There were 120,836 cases and 336 deaths recorded last year, compared with 108,698 cases and 215 deaths in 2014. Even worse, this year’s figures are estimated to be higher.
It is obvious that among the lower-income countries of ASEAN such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, control measures are weaker and the population is more vulnerable to pandemics.
What can Taiwan do through its “new southbound policy”?
The policy is a geopolitical, socioeconomic strategy to “look south” toward ASEAN members. Taiwan has a high quality of healthcare professionals and know-how vis-a-vis the public health problem.
Taiwan has provided materials and expertise to African countries (Sao Tome and Principe) to eradicate malaria. Since then, Taiwan has proven to be extremely qualified to provide assistance to ASEAN in fighting dengue fever.
Of course, Taiwan cannot mobilize all of its resources to fulfill this commitment to fight dengue fever. Taiwan must establish targets, goals and a budget to achieve an efficient “cost and effect” relationship, leading to more balanced results.
For example, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in cooperation with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has convened with Southeast Asian experts to discuss the topic through the International Conference on Dengue Prevention and Control and International Dengue Expert Consultation Meeting.
The knowledge and experience shared at the conference has built up personal exchanges and friendships between experts and cooperation between agencies. The key point of the “new southbound policy” is to create an effective influence, as a “hard result,” through “soft power.”
A plan of action through the “new southbound policy” could include the donation of materials and the pharmaceutical/chemical industry is a strength of Taiwan. The government could provide some basic dengue-fighting materials to low-income ASEAN members on an annual basis, including public health chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Taiwan would benefit through “two birds with one stone” — pharmaceutical sales would be a plus for the nation’s economy and it would promote the nation’s international reputation.
Taiwan can share its know-how. It can continue to hold seminars, conferences and symposiums regarding new technology and knowledge to fight dengue fever. Taiwan can play a clear role as a platform and a hub for the exchange of dengue-fighting knowledge.
The CDC can invite medical colleges nationwide to cooperate in this exchange, which would also help build up stronger tropical medicine abilities among the nation’s medical colleges. Taiwan can also provide experts for international cooperation missions to review and provide councel to other nations’ dengue-fighting plans.
The Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund has a lot of experience in providing such technical assistance missions. Taiwan can also involve its medical colleges to play a role in this assistance.
Taiwan can help with joint ventures or joint research for dengue fever vaccines: There is a dengue vaccine on the market, Dengvaxia, developed by Sanofi Pasteur. Several other vaccine candidates are in clinical or pre-clinical development. However, within the medical community, there are debates about a vaccine’s efficacy.
ASEAN members are potential and lucrative markets for a dengue vaccine. However, the cost to develop a new vaccine is extremely high and contains risks. Taiwan could encourage public, private, academic or commercial joint ventures or join research in this regard with ASEAN’s biopharmaceutical sectors, universities or health agencies.
Steve Yang is a political adviser to the Executive Yuan.
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